32 Seconds Away
by Titania of Fairies
Summary: The world is a place with endless possibilities. The smallest ripple can cause the largest of changes. So what would happen, if Hyuga Hiashi was born after Hyuga Hizashi? The world would be completely shaken by the changes it caused. BROTP Kurama & Kushina. Friendly!Irritated!Kurama. Semi - SI!Fem!Sai - ShisuixShizune & KakaAnko
1. CH 1 The Past and Present

The world is an odd place.

Every cause has an effect and even ripples can turn into Tsunami's.

So tell me what would happen, if Hyuga Hiashi was born after Hyuga Hizashi?

Let's see the impact it has on the universe.

 ** _(January 8 - Deep Inside the Hyuga Mansion)_**

It was nighttime, in the large Hyuga compound.

The crescent moon loomed above the large 'mansion', it's gentle rays, beaming onto the roof of it. The lake in front of the house was still, it's water occasionally rippling. The atmosphere was calm and occasionally there would be a sound of a cricket or a bug.

While the outside of the compound was calm, the inside was not.

It was an joyous day - night - in the Hyuga mansion.

Most of the members where up and celebrating, it wasn't surprising, considering the event that had happened.

Hyuga Hitomi, the wife of the Head of the Clan, had just given birth to two healthy baby boys. Twins.

Of course this was something to celebrate for, it marked the beginning of the Hyuga clans newest head. Thousands of smiles were exchanged; to outsiders it would be surprising. After all, for a Hyuga, a single smile was equivalent to a million shouts of joy. Yet, there was no smile, not even a sign of happiness on Lady Hitomi's face as she held her two suns; there was only Love and sadness.

 _ **I love you both, my baby boys -**_

"Hitomi," A deep voice called from the doorway.

Turning her head, the said lady gave out a small smile and ducked her head, in attempts to bow.

"Hijiri - _sama_ ," She greeted to the current Head of the Clan and her husband.

 _ **\- and yet, I wish that you didn't have to be born in this clan -**_

"Are you alright?" He asked his wife, before strolling over to her side.

"Do not worry Hijiri - _sama_ , the doctors said that I will recover in no time."

 _ **\- Because all you will feel here is pain -**_

"Good." Hijiri said, before asking: "..Are these?..."

"Yes Hijiri - _sama_ , these are your sons. Do you wish to name them?" Lady Hitomi asked, her eyes happy and her face weary.

 _ **\- and disappointment -**_

The brown haired Hyuga stared at his sons, before letting a smile grow onto his face. "Hyuga...Hyuga Hiashi, " He said pointing towards the second one, "He will make the Hyuga house proud by living in the shadows and supporting his brother."

Lady Hitomi(s) smile turned melancholy, as she turned to her other son. "And him, what shall his name be?"

 _ **\- No matter the Main House or the Branch house -**_

The man turned to look at his first son, his eyes crinkled as he began to speak. "He...he shall be Hyuga Hizashi, the light of our clan."

Lady Hitomi smiled on the outside, but on the inside her head was fill with regret.

 _ **\- You will be caged, forever.**_

 ** _(Three Years Later: October 29th_**

 _ **Ages: 3)** _

Hyuga Hizashi was a curious child.

Unlike his other family members, the young child didn't try and hide his feelings. Now, in the beginning this had caused some commotion between the Elders, but after witnessing how fast he caught up in his Hyuga training, they were lenient with him. As long as he wasn't as idiot, they were fine.

Often times the young Hyuga would stare out the window and wonder strange things about the world. He would then go to random people and ask them the answers to his questions. Most of the adults would just stare at him with a kind smile on their face and reply, _"Oh Hizashi - sama, you are too silly."_

He didn't understand, how were his questions silly? He honestly wanted to know the answers to his questions...maybe that was why he didn't go adults anymore.

Out all people that Hizashi liked to question, he found out that his twin had the best answers.

"Hey Hiashi, why do the leaves turn into different colors?"

The said boy raised his head from his book, _'The Scientific Analysis of Chakra',_ before responding. "The green color is caused by the use of chlorophyll. When the season in cold, the chlorophyll breaks down which will make the the green color disappear and make the other colors become visible and give the leaves their strange color. The colors can also be changed by chemical reactions, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments."

"Oh...okay!" Hizashi responded, before returning back his book on the _'History of the Shinobi World_.'

To some this conversation would be weird, after all, one would not expect three year olds to understand most of the context, but to the Hyuga twins, this was a daily (if not hourly) process.

Both boys were glued to the hip and were rarely seen away from each other. It was also the fact that they were both equally matched, may it be strength or skill. Often times, the Branch members of the Hyuga family wondered about whether or not their brains were connected, considering the fact they could complete each others thoughts perfectly.

"Hey Hiashi?"

The younger boy sighed, before putting his book aside. "You are not going to let me finish my book, are you?"

"Nope!"

"Alright then," Hiashi said, putting down his book. "Carry on."

"Why are.."

 ** _(Five years later: January 8th_**

 ** _Age: 5)_**

Hyuga Hizashi laid silently at the doors; his hand was at his mouth and his face was pale in shock. His heart beat quicker and quicker at every word he heard.

He stood up quickly, his feet numb and his hands shaking. Grabbing onto the walls, the young boy stumbled down the hallway, his mind buzzing with a million concerns. Finally making his way into his room, the boy plopped down on his bed.

His twin was in trouble.

 _His twin was in trouble._

"Hizashi?"

His head popped up to see his very concerned brother in front of him. "Hizashi," He repeated. "Hizashi are you alright?"

 ** _ **Yes, I am alright but -**_**

"What is the matter. You are pale in the face."

 ** _ **\- You...you will not be.**_**

"Something is wrong, isn't it. Shall I go get Otou - _sama_?"

 ** _ **I can't, can't let this happen.**_**

"No. You can not get Otou - _sama."_ Hizashi said, his voice calm, but his hands clenched.

"Hizashi -"

The older twin cut him off. "You must run away, tonight."

 ** _ **Run, run away from the pain.**_**

It didn't work.

All of his pleading, his begging, his warnings; None of was able to woo Hiashi.

 _"Please,"_ He had said, _"Please, run away. You can be safe and happ-"_

 _"What would that matter?"_ Hiashi had said, rather stiffly. _"If I left, you would subjected to the elders alone. Forget about it, I won't leave."_

He tried and tried and tried, but it all came out to be useless.

A few nights later, when the elders stated that they need Hiashi, Hizashi had crawled into the closet of the room they had entered, in hopes to see what was going on _(Although he knew, they probably knew he was their)_.

He regretted it, immensely.

Hizashi could remember it all, the screams coming from his brothers mouth and agony on his face.

In the end, his brother was sealed.

And it was all his fault.

 _ ** **Why, oh why did this happen -****_

 _ ** **It's my fault, all my fault.****_

The road to recovery had been a long one.

The atmosphere between the two brothers hadn't changed, at least to those around them, but they brothers knew that there were somethings that would never be the same.

It had started with the titles.

Originally Hiashi was able to call her elder brother by his given name; now he had to refer to him as 'Onii - _sama_ ' or just 'Hizashi - _sama_ '. It was...odd for the brothers to act so formal, but they had to.

Therefore they made a deal. Under the sneering eyes of the elders, they would be distant and polite, but when they were alone, only then would they be able to return to the way as it was before.

 _ **(Ten years later: July 21st)** _

_**Age: 10)** _

"Let us take a break for now."

Hizashi's heart cracked slightly. His fists clenched onto his side, causing him to hide a wince from a hot tendril of pain that shot up his arm, due to the bruises on it.

"I understand Otou - _sama._ I will try harder at this next time."

"Good, it is expected," Hyuga Hijiri said, nodding once to his younger son. "After all you are the Heir."

 _ ** **Of course, that's all that counts isn't it. It doesn't matter whether I am your son or that this technique is something a 14 year old does -****_ "Of course Otou - _sama_." Hizashi said, in perfect accordance.

"Very well then. It is good that you understand." With that, Hyuga Hijiri walked out of the training room, his brown hair swinging behind him regally.

As soon as Hijiri walked out of the training area, the young Hyuga sneered into the distance.

For years he had been pressured to do his best, to excel in the skill that was Taijutsu. Every move, every step he had taken, was criticized and pulled apart.

He had stood strong - for years, he had prevailed.

Yet it was starting to bear down on him, as his shoulders started to droop after every scolding.

 _Get stronger,_ they had told him. _Get faster,_ they had yelled and soon, more followed. Such as; _Improve your stance, kick harder: Are you a fool? Attack me!_

They were basically telling him, that he wasn't enough.

It hurt, he realized. Not at the fact that they scolded him, no that didn't hur-

It was the disappointment.

The sheer _look_ of it was carved on their faces. It was almost as if they had expected better of him.

 _How_ dare _they._

 _ ** **Those worthless pieces of****_ _-_ Hizashi sighed, before narrowing his eyes.

 _ ** **Forget it****_ _._ He told himself, it would do no good to think about it, because that's all he could do, think.

He hated it, hated that he couldn't say anything; that he could do anything, but if he dared open his mouth, they would either rebuke him or hurt his brother.

His _twin_ brother.

Sighing the young boy, got into the stance and narrowed his eyes, holding back the tears that the pain from the bruises caused him.

He had more important things to do.

So he continued where his father left him off, striking the block with increasing fevour. Sweat dripped from his head, as his tied up hair became messy and slowly fell from the confined tie it was in.

Minutes turned into an hour, as the skin on his palms became raw and his legs began to quake. The burning sensation in his muscles had resided and now left a numb sensation in there wake.

 ** **Again.**** He thought to himself.

 ** **Again**** ** _ **.**_**

 ** _ **Again.**_**

He told himself once more to start, but his body didn't listen to him, as he collapsed in a fit of exhaustion.

His face hit the ground with a soft bang and his heart rate was pumped due to adrenaline. His brain slowly shut down as his eyes began to close.

 _That's it,_ A voice crooned from the back of his head. _Give in, just give in._

Hizashi eyes were almost closed, when he saw a blurry figure in the doorway.

As his body creased to think, he could feel himself being picked up by another figure. The warmth and softness enveloped him like a bedsheet and a soft smile graced his lips. The familiar chakra caused his body to relax and from his disoriented sense, he could hear a small hum.

And then, another voice popped up.

 _"I was right, even though I didn't want to be - you will both be caged, forever."_

He woke up hours later, with the worried and _(dare he say it, crying)_ face of his brother in front of him.

After reassuring Hiashi and getting a scolding from the healers, he learned that he had a few bruises and some chakra exhaustion. Nothing big or tragic, but he supposed he didn't look his best, considering the fact that Hiashi refused to leave his side.

Over the heavy feeling of Hiashi(s) gaze and the stern scolding his Otou - _sama_ was giving him, Hizashi could see his mother standing over at the doorstep.

As their eyes met, he could see understanding, sadness and another emotion reflecting in them. Slowly he nodded to his mother, his own eyes taking in that same unknown emotion.

He finally understood, that **_**he would never be free.**_**

 ** _ **That's a wrap for the first chapter.**_**

 ** _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_**


	2. CH 2 Death: Habenaro and the Yondaime

**_The life of a shinobi is dangerous._**

 _Those who enter it, start out saner then they are in the end._

 _When exactly is the end?_

 _When you die._

 _Because a shinobi, fights for its' country._

 _You see how I say 'it' and 'a' instead of him and her; the reason for that is because on the battlefield, it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl._

 _They'll kill you regardless._

 _Children and forced to kill and soon begin to grow up faster then they should; because in the shinobi world, both a child or an adult, are the same. To your enemies, you're just another target to hit, another person to maim._

 ** _The life of a shinobi is dangerous._**

 _Making friends can be...troublesome, as one would call it. Although, not for the reasons you would think._

 _Normally, making friends would take a mixture of time, patience and compromise. You're more likely to be friends with someone with the same interests as you, then someone who is the exact opposite, right?_

 _Wrong._

 ** _The life of a shinobi is dangerous._**

 _In the shinobi world it didn't matter, whether you were the opposite or exactly the same. All that mattered was that all children understood one thing: Bloodshed._

 _Therefore it was simple to make friends, (although easier to make enemies). Friends were just the people that you killed for and people who killed for you; they always had your back and you were expected to have theirs._

 ** _The life of a shinobi is dangerous._**

 _Because eventually, you'll become close enough to some people, that you'll become more like siblings._

 _So imagine how you would feel, when you had to dig their grave._

 _It happens, every time._

 _Because the shinobi world is dangerous and sometimes, you're just a bit too late._

 _And Hyuga Hiashi, was just a bit too late._

 _..._

The bottle was in his hand before he knew it.

It was tempting. All he had to do was flick the bottle cap and raise the drink to his lips; if he did that, then he would forget.

Forget the pain and heartbreak, but more importantly, forget the memories that caused the pain.

He could still see them in his mind.

The three of them would be seated on the base of the Training Ground 21 tree- of course talking about their Genin days. Mikoto would be in the center of them, her back leaned against the tree and her eyes closed. Her hands would be around her waist and her mouth would be screw shut, from attempts at not laughing. Minato would be crouched down on her left, his hands animating the story that he would be telling them, a calm gentle smile on his face.

Finally there would be himself - Hyuga Hiashi - who would be leaned up against the tree of on the opposite side of the Uchiha girl, with a minuscule smile on his face.

One which meant he was dying from laughter on the inside.

But that was all gone now, all because stupid Minato had to go get himself killed.

Kushina and him, how dare _they._

How could they have died?

How could they had just given up?

 _How could they have just gone left him-_

It hurt, more than he would have liked it to.

At the funeral, Mikoto had told him that they had to cherish their memory and move on. Hiashi knew that it wouldn't be easy, after all, the blonde Hokage and the red haired Habenaro where big parts of his small dull _life-_ and now they were gone.

 _Gone slightly,_ and yet not entirely, as the shadows still lingered.

They were everywhere, lurking in the shadows and in his own mind.

The air around him was heavy, almost as if no one had walked through it or disrupted the particles in years.

He was tired; so damn tired and all he wanted to do is sleep, but he couldn't because they would slip into his dreams when he was least expecting it.

The bottle cap was flipped open and the brunette raised the drink to his lips, about to take in a sip, before he stopped.

He saw their smile.

The bottle fell from his hand and crashed onto the floor. The glass shattered onto the floor and the contents inside of it spill out, onto the floor.

He could've caught the bottle, he knew this. You weren't a _Jōnin_ and couldn't catch a simple dropped object - you wouldn't usually drop an object in the first place.

On a regular day he would frown and go out and train, in hopes to see what was wrong and yet, it wasn't a regular day; So it should've been no surprise when he took the sound of shattering glass as something else.

He took it as a wakeup call.

He fell to his knees, his mind a daze; the glass pieces cut through his clothing and penetrated into his knees and yet, the physical pain of it did not bother him.

A single tear slipped down his face.

Another came after that and soon, he was crying.

That was how his wife found him, an hour later.

Silent, with tears running down from his eyes and a small smile on his face.

Hyuga Himana let out a quite gasp and quickly pulled the young man up in attempts to help him clean himself. Quickly healing his legs, she cleaned the room and changed both of their clothing. She laid down next to her unresponsive husband and ran her hands through Hiashi's hair in attempts to calm him down.

Before he could fall asleep however, his mind came up with a final resolution.

He would live on and one day, die for his loved ones.

Just like his teammate.

...

Hyuga Hizashi was not a cruel man, in fact, he wasn't like most Hyuga.

After all, although he didn't always show it, he cared about his family.

His sibling in particular and just like any good older brother would be in a scenario like this, he was concerned.

Both Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were close with his brother. Of course, he himself knew them too; therefore he was saddned, however he didn't know them as well as Hiashi. With their passing, the older Hyuga tried to keep tabs on his brother, in hopes that if something happened he would be alerted.

Although it was a grim thought, they _were_ shinobi and suicide wasn't really that rare...

"Hiashi," Hizashi greeted his younger brother, as they got together at their weekly meeting.

"Hizashi - _sama._ " The younger brother greeted back.

The two brothers stared at each other, different feelings flashing through the both of them.

"How are you?" Hizashi asked, his eyes conveying what his mouth didn't say. _'Are you alright?'_

"I am...satisfactory." _'I will be fine.'_

Hizashi looked at his younger brother for a moment, before nodding. "Good, that's good."

 _'I'm glad.'_

 _Bam_ _!_ The door burst open.

"Oh stop with this nonsense!"

Standing in the light of the doorway was a rather tall, blue haired kunoichi. Her hair fell, as bangs, onto her face, framing her pretty lavender eyes.

Her name was Hyuga Hikari, and she was the Female Head of the Hyuga clan.

Or, as the Elders liked to say, ever so rudely; _'_ _The mother of the future Heir.'_

To that, she had promptly said; _'_ _Screw off, you sick bastards!'._

"Hikari," Hizashi said, with a fond smile on his lips.

Hiashi turned to the door, before bowing slightly. "Hikari- _sama,_ " He said, calmly.

In return he was given a slap on the back and a scolding.

"Honestly Shi _chan_ , stop being so stuck up! We're like siblings now...although we were kinda related before," Hikari said, as she put her finger onto her chin.

"Of course Hikari - _sama."_

"Are you even listening to me!?"

Hizashi gave a weary chuckle, his eyes sparking with a slight amount of amusement through the tiredness in them. It always amused him to see his brother and his fiance interact, because of how different they were.

They were like day and night, always clashing.

It was refreshing, he supposed, after all of the death and destruction that had happened around them lately, it was good that some things were still normal.

Hizashi watched as his two favorite people argued back and forth about random things. As his brothers expression grew lighter and his clenched fist unclenched, he sighed in relief to himself.

"Hizashi - _sama_ , Hikari - _sama._ " Another voice called from the doorway

Appearing at the doorstep was a petite, lithe female, with light lavender eyes and long raven hair. Her skin was glowing softly and her arms were clasped in front of her.

Bowing towards the two, she turned to her husband and smiled slightly, her eyes filling with joy and worry. "Hiashi - _kun_."

"Himana," His brothers voice was calm and neutral, but his eyes softened up.

That was when Hizashi knew the truth—

His brother would be fine.

...

It was a crisp, calm night; it was an odd feeling to many, considering the fact that just a few night ago, the sky was lit with fire.

The streets were filled with rubble and a few buildings that had survived from the attack, swung from side to side, almost as if they were going to collapse soon.

The air was dusty; A normal civilian would suffocate in the fumes that filtered into it. However, the two men and one woman that occupied the side of the street, were not regular people.

The female was a petite woman, who had dark brown hair which extended a little past her shoulders. Her eyes were a shade of black and her skin slightly tanned. She was wearing a formal black yukata which reached her feet. The Uchiha symbol was embroidered in golden on the back of it; giving a stark contrast from the plain black yukata. A sigh escaped her lips, as she stared up to the sky.

One of the males, the younger one, was our very own Hyuga Hiashi. His blue hair fell around his head and framed his face and the metal headband that was hung low around his neck. His body was adorned in a simple blue, silk kimono and had an silver obi around it. With his arms clasped in front of him, the young man stared into the ground, slightly uncomfortable; although it wasn't like he would show it.

Finally the eldest, of the trio. He was a tall man, with shaggy silver (some would say gray) hair, which was collected as a low ponytail onto the back of his head. His eyes were a dark brown in color and two red lines were drawn from them to the bottom of his face. He was wearing an green kimono with a dark green obi, enclosing the middle. A long red cloak was placed on his shoulders. His tanned face was marked with wrinkles, even though he was only in his early 30's; it didn't matter, after all, someone with his job description was lucky to live until 30.

The female of the group sighed, her hair whipping around her face. "I wish it didn't have to come to this," She spoke softly, her tone holding understanding and weariness.

Hiashi closed his eyes. "None of us wished it would've happened Mikoto; however it was inevitable, we are shinobi. I just wished it wouldn't have happened so soon."

The trio were silent for a moment, before the silver haired man spoke: "Idiots. They're stubborn idiots."

Mikoto smiled sadly. "You knew Kushina and Minato, _Sensei._ We all knew how stubborn they were."

"They would do anything for their loved ones," Hiashi agreed with the young woman. "Even if it would put themselves into danger."

" _*Sigh*_ They were at the prime time of their life; I just couldn't - can't - imagine them dead," The silver haired man spoke; his tone sounding serious and sad, which was very unlike him.

"None of us could've imagined them dead Jiraiya - _sensei,_ they were too lively for that," Hiashi said, his eyes reflecting the sorrow that he felt.

A silence descended on them, before the female, Mikoto, spoke once more: "What are we planning to do now, after all, we have to look into the future."

Before Hiashi could speak, Jiraiya beat him to the punch, "After a few days, I'll leave Konoha and continue with my writin-"

"But _Sensei,_ what about Naruto?" Hiashi exclaimed softly, his voice confused. "The Hyuga elders thought you would bring him with you on your travels."

Jiraiya looked to the side, his face guilty. He waved a hand in the air and hastily replied, "I'll be traveling, it's no place for a kid to be."

"What, but you're his godfather; he'll be an orphan if you don't take him in!?" Hiashi replied incredulously.

"He'll be fine. He's going to the orphanage, isn't he?" Jiraiya said, not looking at his students.

Hiashi was worried.

If Naruto wasn't adopted by Jiraiya, then trouble would arise. The young man understood how painful it would be to raise him, considering the fact that Kushina and Minato(s) death was still fresh; however, he had hoped that his _Sensei,_ could at least put that aside and take responsibility for being Naruto(s) godfather! If it weren't for the fact that Sandaime - _sama_ had said Naruto would only be able to adopted by family, then he would've gone to Hizashi and asked if the boy could be taken into the Hyuga clan. If Naruto wasn't adopted, who knew what the villagers would do to him...after all, for the weakest reason known to man kind, the Sandaime refused to let the civilians know that Naruto was actually Minato(s) son.

Opening his mouth Hiashi was about to rebate, when Mikoto spoke up. "The Uchiha Clan will adopt him."

 _3...2...1_

"What!?" Jiraiya asked, his jaw wide open.

Hiashi paused before thinking, "That would work, wouldn't it? After all, Kushina made you Naruto(s) godmother, didn't she?"

The female nodded, before speaking softly; "Both Fugaku and I have talked it over, and he was pretty easy to convince; after all, Kushina was his teammate. All I have to do now is get the permission from the elders."

"You, you already talked this over with Uchiha - _sama_?" Hiashi asked, surprised.

"Yes," Mikoto nodded. "When I was thinking yesterday, I realized that with both of them gone, Naruto would be an orphan. That's when I decided to bring the topic up; after all, Kushina and Minato wer- _are_ very dear to me. Besides I wouldn't want my own child to be orphaned." Mikoto said, placing a hand onto her slightly curved stomach.

"Miko - _chan,_ are you saying that you knew that I wouldn't-" Jiraiya started, only to be cut off.

"We all knew that Minato was your favorite and that you were fond of Kushina," Mikoto said, matter of factly. "I knew you wouldn't take in Naruto, after all, he does look exactly like Minato. The guilt won't allow you to raise him properly."

"I-"

"Alright, but how are you going to convince the Elders, they won't want to have him in their compound because of Naruto being the _Jinchūriki_." Hiashi said, cutting off his _sensei._

At this Jiraiya fell silent and simply turned to listen at what his old pupils had to say.

Mikoto straightened up her back and when she spoke it was harsh. "I am the female Head of the Uchiha Clan; I will find a way to convince them. I was useless during the _Kyuubi_ attack and could do nothing to help really, this is something I can do, however."

"Miko - _chan_ , their deaths weren't your fault, not to mention you're pregnant-"

"I know that and yet if I was a better kunoichi, then I would've helped some more," Mikoto interrupted, her voice sharp.

"You retired from the shinobi lifestyle after you married Fugaku - _san_ Mikoto; it's not your fault that you're bit rusty on your ninja skills." Jiraiya sighed, patting her on the head. "You did just fine."

"I agree with _Sensei,_ here." Hiashi said. "None of us knew that the attack was coming and even if you were a trained _Jōnin_ , there would be little that you could've done."

"That's just it." Mikoto frowned slightly. "This attack, it was really an eye opener; something like this might happen like this and the next time I won-"

The female trailed off as she bit her lower lip and her eyes watered. The Toad Sannin moved to comfort her, but was stopped by Hiashi(s) hand. Finally she composed herself, before moving on.

"I can't be surprised like that again. I won't lose another person that is precious to me."

"Then what do you suggest?" Hiashi asked, after a moment of silence.

Mikoto smirked, before saying, "Well, there's only one way out, isn't there?"

Jiriaya looked at her, shocked. "Miko - _chan,_ you surely don't mean what I think you do, right?"

Mikoto took in a deep breath, before talking; "I have gone over it with Hokage - _sama,_ and he fully supports my choice."

"Mikoto, does that mean...?"

"After Sasuke(s) birth, I will come out of the retired lifestyle."

...

The two men were silent for a second, before Jiraiya exhaled. "I must say that this is a surprise Miko - _chan_...how does your husband take this piece of information?"

"Nothing, I haven't told him yet." Mikoto said, her voice taking on a grim tone.

"But, Mikoto-"

"What?" The female Uchiha said, a bit defensively; "It doesn't matter what he says, this is something that I need to do and hopefully, he will understand that."

The silver haired sannin shook his head at that. "Wow Miko - _chan,_ what happened to the sweet, quiet, you?"

Mikoto(s) upper lip curled. "I've just decided to do what I want _Sensei,_ nothing wrong with that."

Hiashi nodded his head in agreement and was about to say something when a large hand clapped both his and Mikoto(s) shoulder.

"You...both of you, have grown.'

" _Sensei-"_

"I'm proud, very proud of you both and i'm sure that Minato and Kushina would agree with me."

A calm silence descended upon them and finally, it was Hiashi who spoke up.

"Let's make them proud."

"Of course," Mikoto nodded. "After all, they're still with us."

"In our brains and in our hearts," Jirai muttered.

The sky split into multiple bright colors, as a dim light settled onto the tops of the buildings. Looking towards the light, Mikoto sighed.

"Let us see, what comes next-"

Hiashi smiled.

"-and face it, head on."

 **-End of CH 2-**


	3. CH 3 Childhood Arc (Autumn Promises)

**_(December 27th - That Night)_**

The night was quiet and all was still; to outsiders the would seem like a spell had settled onto the village of Konohagakure.

However, two men walked through the silent corridors of the Hyuga compound. Their feet made no sound as they walked through the dark, quiet halls. Finally, the duo stopped; the elder one stepping forward, as the younger one stopped behind him.

"I rushed back as soon as I heard the news," Hizashi said, smiling softly. "How is Himana?"

"She's fine Hizashi - _sama_ , the medics say that she'll have to be careful for a few months; After that, she can go back onto the active roaster."

"That's good...how's your daughter?"

Hiashi(s) face lit up with a small smile at this, "Hinata is fine."

"Hinata..." Hizashi hummed, before chuckling; "So you named her after Himana(s) mother?"

Hiashi hummed in agreement. "Indeed, we thought it would fitting."

Hizashi chuckled, "I'm sure she'll become as great as Lady Hinata once was."

Hiashi raised his eyebrows. "That is...very high praise."

The older man just hummed.

A silence descended between them, when finally, Hiashi spoke up, "On the note of children, how is Neji - _sama_?"

Hizashi weary face, lit up with a smile. "Neji is good. He's starting to try and speak properly, now."

"Ahh yes, what was his first word again?"

Hizashi positively beamed at this, "It was _Otou_ \- _chan,_ Hikari was spitting mad about that."

Hiashi frowned, before sighing. Seeing his dejected expression, Hizashi decided to ask, "What's wrong?"

Hiashi pursed his lips. "Nothing, it's just that I owe Himana 50 _ryō._ "

"Huh? Wh- Wait!? You both bet on my son!?"

"Of course, don't even dare say that Hikari - _sama_ and you, haven't done the same about my daughter."

Hizashi spluttered, loosing his Hyuga mask, "I - bu-"

Hiashi grinned, with an air of superiority around him.

"Hmm, I thought so."

...

There was no competition.

That was why Hiashi was worried.

Honestly, the bluenette didn't know what he did wrong.

His daughter - _his darling daughter -_ was failing at Taijutsu.

It wasn't because she was bad at it, no, that wasn't the case. Whenever the two of them sparred together her skills were...acceptable enough. Yet, when she was pitted against one of her peers, she faltered and lost multiple times.

As a father, he was concerned.

Although many called him a heartless bastard, in reality, the younger Hyuga was anything but that. The day that Hinata had been born had been undoubtedly the greatest day of his life, even marrying his wife had come second to that. Yet, he was unused to showing great deals of emotion at once.

Often times, he would say that he was both her father and her teacher, therefore there were times he could be strict with her and then there were times where he could be lenient. He mostly leaned towards the former; after all, no parent would want their child to go out into the cruel world unprepared.

Not like they themselves had, not so long ago.

Picking up on a familiar chakra sense and hearing the soft and yet, heavy thud of footsteps echoing in the hall, Hiashi sighed. He didn't even need to activate his Byakugan to know who it was. "Hinata, stop stalling at the door."

Hearing a familiar squeak, the Hyuga sighed, once more, internally as the door opened at and a mop of dark blue hair appeared.

Standing at the threshold was a petite, hunched over girl. Her blue hair was cut sharply around her neck and her face was downcast, her eyes faced towards the floor. She was wearing a baby blue dress, one which ended at her knees; on the backside of it, a silver emblem was embroidered onto her back, stating that she was a Hyuga.

" _O_ \- _Otou_ \- _san_ , y - you called f - for me?"

Ah, there it was; that stutter.

Honestly, Hiashi had no idea what to do. He had worked day and night in order to find _some_ way to make his daughter lose her stutter and yet, none of it had an affect on her.

He had no idea on how to help her.

 ** _Does that make me a bad parent?_ **He mused to himself, as he stared at the self conscious child in front of him.

"Hinata," His dulcet tones spoke, causing the young girl to press her two index fingers together. "Please straighten yourself up, it's unbecoming of a Hyuga to slouch."

"H - Hai." She almost seemed to sink onto herself _(If that was even possible?)_ , as her shoulders straightened up.

Sighing, this time out loud, the _Jōnin_ fought the urge to massage his temples. He loved his daughter, but this was getting ridiculous.

 _'Stop being so serious,'_ Hitomi had told him. _'If you want her to open up, you need to think about her feelings.'_

Deciding that he might as well try, the blue hair man spoke. His voice softening up slightly. "Hinata...come here."

Slowly, the shy girl inched towards her father, until she was standing right in front of his desk.

"Hinata, I heard about your spar with Hideki - _kun."_

At this, the young Hyuga winced. "I - I'm s - sorry."

Holding back a frown, the elder Hyuga said, "I don't want to hear your sorry Hinata, I want you to tell me why you lost. You do well enough during out spars."

" _A - Ano_ ," The girl pressed the two index fingers together as she started to respond. "I - I d - do - on't - t l - like t - to..."

Her voice trailed off and Hiashi, with all of his ninja experience, couldn't hear what she said. "Hinata, speak up."

Swallowing once more, the young girl spoke again. "I - I don't like h - hurting people."

At this Hiashi sighed and placed a hand onto his forehead, before frowning and asking; "Then how come you fight well enough with me? Do you want me to get injured?"

"No!" Hinata quickly said, before turning pale and muttering, " _O - Otou_ \- _san,_ i - is strong, I c -could never hurt y - you in a f - fight."

At this Hiashi(s) eyes crinkled. Realizing the problem, the man hummed, before wondering what to do. Kindness, although wasn't bad in general, was not something that you could have if you wanted to survive the Hyuga Clan and the Ninja world.

It seemed she was just like her mother.

Frowning, the blue haired man paused, thinking to himself. His did wish that his daughter could stay kind, however, she couldn't allow that to be her weakness; If she did, the cruel world would chew her up and spit her out.

He had to think.

" _O - Otou_ \- _s - san?_ " A shy voice broke him out of his thoughts.

Peering down at his squirming daughter, he realized that he had zoned out. Sighing, he replied, "Hinata..."

The girl in question jumped. " _H - Hai_!"

Slowly, his face softened up a fraction.

"You...you did well, Hinata."

Her head shot up, as her pearl like eyes, widened in shock.

The petite Hyuga had expected her father to scold her (once more). Dark thoughts had echoed in the back of her head and the minuscule voice that lived their had appeared again.

This however...she did not expect.

The words were out of her mouth before she could blink. " T - Thank you _Otou_ \- _san_."

A soft silence descended upon them, when all of a sudden Hiashi raised his eyebrows. "Don't you have somewhere to be..?"

"O - Oh! T - That's right. _Okaa_ \- _san,_ is t - taking me to meet - t Hikari - _sama_ and N - Neji - _sama_ to - oday. "

Hiashi froze for a moment, before speaking. "I see...be very polite and respectful when you meet them, alright?"

"O - Of course," Hinata nodded, " _Kaa_ \- _san,_ t - told me t - to me p - polite, b - because N - Neji - _sama_ w - will one day l - lead the C - Clan."

"That's right," Hiashi nodded. "Now, is that all?"

" _H - Hai!_ " Hinata mumbled. " _S - Sayōnara c - chichi_."

Hiashi nodded at her. " _Sayōnara._ "

Turning around, the young girl ran out of her room, her short hair flowing behind her; she slammed the door and sprinted down the hallways.

Wincing at the loudness of the door, Hiashi sighed.

The pain of being a parent was really hitting him.

...

"Ohh! You're so cute!"

"T - Thank y - you, H - Hikari - _s - sama_ ," Hinata(s) muffled voice managed to say, as her face was pressed into the older womans chest.

"Hikari - _sama,_ maybe you should let go of Hinata..." Hyuga Himana said softly, as she worried because her daughters face was turning pale.

"Hmm," Hikari hummed, before looking down at said girl. "Oops! Sorry, I got a little over excited..."

"I - It's alright H - Hikari - _sama_ ," Hinata said, softly; causing the woman to go into another round of squeals.

When she finally let go of the younger girl, Himana chuckled. "You know, I haven't seen you this excited since Neji - _sama_ was born."

Hikari pouted. "Well, I shouldn't have been so excited back then!"

"What? Why?" Himana asked, concerned.

"That boy is too much!" Hikari exclaimed, "Honestly, you would think he was a teenager at the way he's acting. He won't let me help him with anything!"

Himana raised an eyebrow and then opened her mouth to laugh, when there was a knock on the door. Quickly activating her Byakugan, the female Hyuga got up and fell into a deep bow; with her confused daughter, following her lead.

"Hiashi - _sama,_ Neji - _sama,"_ Himana greeted the two visitors, when the door opened. Hinata squeaked in fear and shock at seeing who they were.

"Himana, it's good to see you," Hyuga Hizashi said, with his son, Hyuga Neji right next to him. "I see you've brought little Hinata with you today."

This sentence caused the said girl to hide behind her mothers leg, her head peeking out.

"Oi!" Hikari said, quite annoyed. "Hello!? Your wife is right here ya know!"

Hizashi chuckled, before dropping a kiss onto her head. "Forgive me Hikari, I didn't mean to ignore you."

"That's more like it," Hikari said, laughing.

"Eww, _Tou_ \- _chan_ _,_ _Kaa_ \- _chan_ _!_ Don't do that in front of me!" Little Neji replied, huffing, before crossing his arms over his chest.

Hyuga Neji was a short, three year old boy. His body was adorned with a simple silver kimono and his hair was hung loose around his back and gathered in a low ponytail at the bottom.

"So we can do it behind you?" Hikari playfully jibed, causing the young boy to scrunch up his nose.

"No! That's not what I meant," Neji pouted, before turning towards the other woman in the room.

"Hima - _obasan_!" The young heir cheered, "You finally came!"

"He's been waiting for you for a while. He says that he wants to eat one of your treats again."

Himana laughed, as Hinata stared curiously at the young boy. So she wasn't the only one who liked her mothers baking?

"Is that so? Well then, the next time I bake something, I'll be sure to send some to you. That is, if you've been a good boy."

"Of course I am." The little Hyuga puffed out his chest; causing Hikari to get an outraged expression on her face. Before she would open her mouth however, Hinata let out a quiet little giggle.

She couldn't help it! Seeing Neji - _sama(s)_ face, reminded her of when her father won a match against her uncle.

"Hey! Who're you?" Neji asked, only just noticing the small figure behind his aunt.

In his defense, the person was tiny and almost seemed that a single touch would cause them to break.

Realizing that all the attention was on her, the small girl let out a eep! and clutched her mothers leg tighter. "H - He - ell - lo - o, N - Neji - _s - sa- ama._ "

Seeing her nieces obvious fear, Hikari laughed and patted her son on the back, before saying; "This is Hyuga Hinata. She's Himana's daughter."

"Wow! Your Hima - _obasan(s)_ and Hiashi - _ojis'_ daughter!?"

"Y - Ye - es."

"That's so cool!" Little Neji said, peering at Hinata.

"T - Th - hank Y - You."

Hinata gave the young boy a tentative smile, before burying her face into her mothers leg once more. Inside she was puzzled, he seemed nice enough; so why did her father warn her to be careful?

"Hey, how come I've never seen you before?" Neji asked, getting even closer to the younger girl.

"I - I - I -"

Clearing her throat, Himana smiled at the two children, before saying; "It's a lovely weather outside, so why don't you both go and get to know about each other."

"That sounds lovely," Hizashi said.

"Alright!" Neji whooped before running out the door, realizing that the younger girl hadn't followed him, he peeked his head out from outside of the door.

"Well, are you coming?"

"M - Me!?"

"Hmm mmh!" Neji nodded.

"A - Al - lright."

...

"And that," Neji said, as he regaled another tale about his epicness, "Was how I defeated the most pig headed man on the universe!"

"N - Ne - eji - _sama!"_ Hinata managed to giggle out. "Y - You s - sh - houldn't c - call E - Ejji - _san,_ a p - pig he - eaded m - man."

"You're right," Neji nodded. "He's not a man, he's a boy!"

Hinata just shook her head, before biting her cheek. Honestly, she had no idea of how Neji - _sama,_ had managed to do it. Calling another person pig headed! Why, she would faint by just thinking about saying it; although she had to agree with the statement internally. Ejji - _san,_ was very arrogant...just a few days ago he had told her that she should stayed home and become a housewife.

The insolence of him... ** _no Hinata, calm down, calm down._**

Sighing, the female Hyuga giggled. "Oh, Neji - _sama._ "

The duo walked around the large compound, before finally settling against an old oak tree. The large branches shielded them from the harsh sun rays. The leaves flittered and fluttered, as the wind picked up around them. Small berries that grew on top of the tree, began to fall down; making a ping sound as they hit the ground.

At this, Neji wrinkled his nose. "Do you have to call me Neji - _sama,_ it sounds so old."

Hinata clasped her fingers. "W - Well, _O - Otou_ \- _san_ says t - that I - I have to respect y - you because y - you'll b - be the n - next C - Clan h - head."

At this, Neji drooped slightly, his shoulders hitting the tree trunk in a big thud.

"I get that," The boy sighed. "But wherever I go, people are always calling me that, it's like they expect something out of me."

At this Hinata furrowed her eyebrows. She could understand that, the feeling of always being looked down upon. The Elders, whenever she went with her father to meet them, all she felt from them was the disappointment in their eyes. However, to think that they were would criticize the clan prodigy, Neji - _sama!?_ That was confusing.

"Ma - aybe, t - they look - k at y - you like that b - because they think that y - you'll do great t - things?" Hinata offered.

Neji snorted. "I know, that's exactly why I hate it. I'm worried that - that..." He trailed off as a frustrated look formed on his face.

"You're worried that you'll let them down?"

The question was asked quietly, but there was a certain depth behind it, one which Neji seemed to understand. The boy paused before sighing and nodding his head vigorously.

"Yeah, that's it."

A silence descended on the duo, when Hinata suddenly spoke up. "I - I t - think that wh - hatever you d - do, H - Hizashi - _sama_ and H - Hikari - _sama,_ will be proud of you."

"Really? You think so?"

"O - Of course." Hinata replied, as she pressed her two fingers together.

As the leaves rustled from the tree and the wind picked in its pace, Neji smiled. "Hinata...thanks!"

"E - Ehh!? W - why a - ar - re y - you t - th - hanking m - me!?" The petite girl was shocked and flustered. To be thanked, was something she had never experienced before.

"Well," Neji softly spoke, rubbing his neck. "You really helped me out, I probably would've kept it in, if you hadn't talked to me."

"O - Oh! I - It's no p - problem, Neji - _sama._ " Hinata mumbled looking away.

"You know, when I grow up, i'm going to change that!"

"Wh - hat?" Hinata asked, confused.

Neji pursed his lips, "Well, when I grow up and become the head of the clan, I'm going to bring the Main house and Branch house closer together! That way, we can be one big, happy family."

Hinata smiled at this and instantly agreed, however on the inside a well of turmoil was bubbling over. I wasn't like she didn't agree with the thought - in fact she rather cherished the idea - however, she couldn't see how it would work.

One, their was too much hatred between the two houses.

For the children it wasn't glaringly obvious, however, Hinata was more observant than the other children. She could see the thinly veiled glares of contempt that the Main House shot towards the Branch and although it wasn't as noticeable, there was a tense aura whenever a Main member ordered one of the Branch members to do something.

Two, the use of formal titles.

Honestly, Hinata had no idea how to change the distance between the two houses, if they continued to use the formal titles. After all, you wouldn't necessarily be close with someone you dressed as _'Sama'._ Not to mention, the Main house constantly thought that they were above the Branch house - this was another issue, one which Hinata was confused off. How could one human life be more important that another one?

Finally, there was the third problem, the seal.

Now, Hinata had no idea what the seal was, or why the Branch members had it. The only reason she knew about it, was that she once saw her mothers forehead without her Hitai-ate. When she had asked, her mother had just given her a melancholy smile and stated that it was something that all Hyuga Branch members had to go through. Hinata hardly thought was fair, after all, they were all Hyuga, weren't they?

"Hey Hina! Are you okay?" Neji asked, a little worried when the young girl didn't respond.

"W - Well," Hinata said, coming out of her thoughts. "I - I just thought of some problems that you might have to overcome to accomplish your goals..."

With that, the young girl (shakily) gave the heir a summary of problems that he might have, she was thorough, but careful to not bring down his happiness.

"I see.." He murmured thoughtfully, before smiling. "I would've never thought of those problems, I'm glad you're on my side!"

"I - I a - am!?" Hinata asked, quiet confused of when that happened.

"Hmmhmm, you'll be my helper, _Imouto_!"

Hinata froze. " _I - Im - mouto_?"

"Ahh," Neji almost seemed bashful, as he spoke next. "Well, IwantedtoaskifIcouldcallyouimoutosinceourparentsarecousinsand-"

"N - Neji - _sama_! C - Calm d - do - own!" Hinata said, panicked. Just seeing him in this state, made her nervous.

"I -" He sucked in a deep breath and started again. "I dunno, it's just that well, you give great advice and you're pretty much the only other Hyuga that I can stand and takes me seriously-"

"W - What about H - Hikari - _sama_ , H - Hizashi - _sama_ and _Kaa - san_?"

Neji frowned at his, his face crinkling. "Naw, I can't stand _Kaa - chan_ , she's always yelling at me! Hima - _obasan_ and Tou - _chan_ are great, but they're adults, so it doesn't really count. Besides, whenever I tell them about my idea they sigh and smile at me like i'm some kid. And i'm not! - Anyways!" He exclaimed suddenly; "Since your Hiashi - _ojis_ ' daughter and Hiashi - _oji_ is Tou - _chan_ (s) twin brother, that would make us half siblings! So I was wondering if I could call you _Imouto_?"

"I -" All the words left Hinata as she stared at the boy in front of her; he honestly wanted _her_ to be his _Imouto_? "Y - You r - really m - mean that?"

"Of course!" The three year old boy shook his head, seriously. "So, what do you say!?"

Hinata hesitated, before smiling. All her two years, she had been told that she was not enough, broken even - and yet, this boy wanted her to be by him.

She had no doubt in her voice, when she said yes.

 **...**

And so a promise was made, underneath a large oak tree; on an autumn night.

The fall leaves fell, as winter arrived.

The seasons were changing and everything was calm.

However, a storm was coming, it's changes fast and furious.

God knew, what would happen to the things in it's path.

And, of how many trees it would uproot with it's destruction.

 **...**

 **I understand that Neji(s) character is a little OOC, however, you do need to take into thought that nothing bad has ever happened in his life. His father is alive and he is pretty much loved throughout the whole clan. You'll see how his character will be changed as the story goes onwards.**

 **That's a wrap for now.**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**


	4. CH 4 Childhood Arc (Uchiha Style)

_**(August 18th - Two Years Before the Kyuubi Attack)**_

"I said no, Fugaku!" Mikoto said calmly, if not a bit irritated, at her husband.

The man in question - Uchiha Fugaku - furrowed his brow at his wife. "I don't understand, Mikoto. Why? If I do this, it will not only be better for the Clan, but also -"

"Better for the Clan! This is our son, we're talking about!"

"I know that Mikoto," Fugaku said firmly. "I know that and I understand why you're doing this; however, we can't leave him in the dark forever."

"What dark! Seeing dead bodies _is_ the life of a _shinobi,_ I know that! Remember Fugaku, I was a _shinobi_ once. However, our boy is four years old, I won't let him go onto a battlefield!"

Fugaku frowned before raising his voice slightly, "You think I want this, Mikoto!? Itachi is a prodigy, it'll be best for him if he sees the truth of the world quicker. Besides, you didn't anything to say to me about this last week, what made it come up now!?"

"I talked with my teammates and honestly after what they told me, I decided that it's just not right!"

"Your teammates!? What do Minato - _san_ and Hyuga have to do anything with this conversation!? This is a Clan matter-"

"This is a personal matter as well and why do you get so upset when I mention my teammates. With Minato you are fine with, however, with Hiashi, you clam up!" Mikoto said, her eyes flaring in anger.

Fugaku growled slightly. "The Hyuga has nothing to do with this, don't bring him in it! Bringing and Hyuga into an Uchiha Clan matter, ridiculous!"

"The only ridiculous things here your idea."

"It is not!"

 **...**

"Shisui?" A four year old Itachi asked, as he listened to the arguing downstairs.

"Yes, Ita - _chan_?" The seven year old Uchiha, asked the little boy.

Itachi frowned at the nickname, but continued. "How come Kaa - _san_ and Tou - _sama_ are arguing?"

Shisui paused at this, his grin faltering slightly, before it grew back on, at full force. Honestly, he had no idea what to tell his little cousin. How could you a _kid_ (a smart one) nevertheless, a _kid_ that their parents were fighting because of him or her?

Not to mention, Shisui had no idea of why Fugaku - _sama_ and Mikoto - _sama_ were fighting. All he knew was that Mikoto - _sama_ had talked with her teammates Hyuga - _san_ and Minato - _san,_ about a matter that was bothering her. The duo had told her to do whatever she wanted to do.

How did he know this? Well, lets say that he had many _, many,_ resources.

"Well, parents always argue about one thing or another."

"Not Kaa - _san,_ or Tou - _sama._ Usually, Tou - _sama_ says something and Kaa - _san_ agrees with him."

Shisui attempted to cringe. Damn prodigys'! Always seeing through him.

"Shisui, you can't damn the prodigys, seeing you are one yourself," Itachi said, knowingly.

Shisui sighed, before patting the young boy on the head, "Don't swear Ita - _chan,_ it's not good for you, but whatever you say _my dear_. Do you want to get some _Mochi?_ I'm pretty hungry myself-"

"Don't change the topic." Itachi said, deadpanning at his cousin

Shisui paused, before pouting, "Maa, maa Ita - _chan,_ you're mean."

"Don't call me Ita - _chan."_

"Alright, Ita - _chan_."

"I hate you."

"Aww, I love you too!

...

"Do you know why Mikoto called us here?" Namikaze Minato asked, as he paced back and forth.

"No, however, you should calm yourself down; or else, you'll end up in the hospital; sissy." Hiashi said, leaning against the wall.

"Don't call me that, Stoneface."

"Then you don't call me sissy."

"I'll stop that when Kushina becomes _Hokage._ "

"Same here."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Both men stared at each other, before letting out a smile and a small laugh. Minato opened his mouth to talk. "You did that on purpose, so I could calm down, didn't you?"

The Hyuga smirked. "For someone who was at the top of our class, it took you long enough to figure it out, _Yondaime - dobe._ "

"Hey! I-"

The two men stilled as a familiar _Chakra_ sense perked up near them.

Minato looked at Hiashi. "Mikoto is coming."

Hiashi rose an eyebrow, "I knew that. Save the obvious stuff for Kushina."

"Hey!" Minato cleared his throat, "I - I-"

" _Kon'nichiwa_ Minato, Hiashi!" The third member of their team said, as she appeared. The leaves, that were untouched a moment ago, whirled up at her sudden stop.

" _Kon'nichiwa_ , Mikoto - _chan."_ Minato said, smiling brightly.

 _"_ _Kon'nichiwa_ , Mikoto," Hiashi said, his face blank, but smiling. " _Ogenkidesuka_?"

At this, Mikoto smiled a rather large smile and hurried to tell her teammates the good news. "I won."

A distilled silence settled over the three as Minato let out an encouraging smile. "That's amazing Mikoto - _chan."_

"It is." The female said, before turning to the silent Hyuga; Minato following in suit.

Hiashi was frozen, the shock of the sentence surrendering him into a dazeful look. Slowly a small smile spread across his face, his voice even smaller. "I'm glad."

And he was glad.

No four year old, should be scarred like that.

Not like he had been.

 **...**

 ** _(June 18th - Three years after the Kyuubi Attack)_**

He didn't mean to destroy the building.

Honest.

Seriously, it all started as one little prank.

 _ **How did this get that far...?** _He wondered as he thought back to the building that had crumbled, due to the little...mishap.

 ** _But still,_** He mused, while sniggering; his blue eyes watering from tears that were caused by laughing too much. **_It was really funny!_**

As his sandal adorned feet swung back and forth, the blonde smirked triumphantly.

 ** _Take that, stupid Sasuke - Teme!_**

Frowning, the young boy sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He really didn't see why so _many_ people had to yell at him; it was just a harmless prank.

Although, they didn't really need the prank to yell at.

They did nothing to hide it, the hatred and resentment in their eyes.

 ** _What did I ever do to them!?_**

It that was the single question that ran through the young boys mind most of the time, one that caused his heart to clench from an indescribable emotion. It wasn't from betrayal or anger, he didn't even know these people!...Except that was the part that stung the most.

What inexcusable crime could he have done to these _strangers!?_ One which caused them to sneer in his direction, to look at him in disdain, like he was just scum?

 _Like he didn't belong?_

Sniffing back the tears that burned behind his eyes, the young boy allowed a small smile to grow across his face. **_Well, it's their problem,_** He thought to himself, to cheer up. _**They won't get to know how awesome I am.** _This last thought was completed with a smile on his face.

 ** _Besides,_** He chuckled gleefully, **_Uzumaki_** _ **Uchiha Naruto doesn't need recognition from strangers! As long as I have Kaa - san, Tou - san, Shisui - nii, Sasuke - teme and Itachi - ni-**_

"Naruto? Are you ready to go?"

Almost catapulting over himself, in fear, the young boy pointed at the intruder and pouted.

"Itachi - _nii,_ don't scare me like that!"

There was something odd about his _Aniki,_ Naruto realized. It wasn't the way he looked at him, no; it wasn't even the way he was dressed. However it could've been the way that the elder boys hands trembled, or the way that his eyes were glazed over, almost like he couldn't see. It also could've been way that the elder boys figure was hunched over and how hair framed his normally clean, face.

"Hn." The nine year old _Genin,_ said. "It's not my fault if you decide that it's time to drift off and day dream."

"I - I wasn't day dreaming!" The blond Uzumaki protested, deciding to ignore it, after all, his Anki was amazing; nothing was too difficult for him to deal with. His shouts grew louder when Itachi flicked him on the head."Of course you weren't and that is why you had the expression of a constipated pig."

Naruto scrunched up his eyebrows in anger and was about to rebuke, when suddenly a thought struck him. "Itachi - _nii,_ how do you know what a consta - constapat-"

"Constipated?" The elder Uchiha offered.

"Right, right." Naruto waved away, "How do you know what a y'know, constappated pig looks like?"

Itachi sighed and shook his head. "Out of all things in that sentence, you ask me about the pig."

"Hey! What's wrong with asking about the pig? Besides you didn't answer my question!"

"The answer is simple. I know what a constipated pig looks like, because I saw your face."

"That makes no sense," The toddler murmured, before frowning, "Itachi - _nii_ is weird!"

A smirk pulled at the older Uchiha(s), as he proceeded to do the next thing.  
 _"Itai!_ _I tai! _That hurts, stop it, _Itai!_ Itachi - _nii!"_

"Hn. Are you ready to go now?"

"Alright, but what did _Jiji_ say?" The blonder said, as he rubbed the painful spot on the back of his head.

"Naruto, you shouldn't disrespect _Hokage - sama,_ like that..."

"Pooh!" Naruto puffed, " _Jiji_ is _Jiji_ , that's just a fact, not an insult."

Itachi sighed. "Alright then, whatever you say. _Hokage - sama,_ just asked that you don't play anymore pranks outside, for the next three months."

"What!? Three months without pranks!" Naruto whined, "but what else am I supposed to do with my time..."

"Well," Itachi said helpfully, "You could do more training or read a few books?"

Naruto shot him a betrayed glare, "I meant something fun, geez Itachi - _nii,_ catch up with the time."

Itachi sighed, before muttering under his breath, "Both Sasuke and you are spending way too much time with Shisui."

"That's 'cause Shisui - _nii_ is funny and he helps me on my..." Naruto trailed off, when an idea struck him.

"Naruto...?" Itachi asked, slightly wary, that expression meant nothing good.

"Oh nothing," The young boy said cheerily. "I just remembered, _Jiji_ said that I cant't pull pranks _outside_ of the compound...he never said anything about the inside." He cackled slightly.

Itachi sighed, before a resigned smile pulled at his lips.

 _He loved his brothers -_

"Let us see, hmm. Oh! I can probably paint on Sadeko - _sama(s),_ clothes and plant a few dungbombs in his room, he _was_ being a meanie to me. Or!-"

With his smiling turning into a frown, he flicked the other boy on the head, before turning around and walking away; The blonde(s) shouts echoed after him, as he smirked.

 _\- although they where still brats._

 ** _..._**

"Kaa - _san,_ i'm back!" Naruto yelled, as he entered the large door of the Uchiha Compound.

"Naruto - _kun_ , I see you've come back." Uchiha Mikoto smiled at her adoptive son; her gaze then flickered to her eldest and she suddenly beamed. "Itachi - _kun_? I thought you had a mission?"

"Ahh," The young boy smiled softly. "It ended early; so I decided to pick up Naruto. _Kon'nichiwa,_ Kaa - _san."_

The woman smiled back at him, warmly, before moving to hug the both of them. " _Kon'nichiwa_ , Itachi."

The elder woman pulled back to stare at her eldest son. Suspicion appeared in her eyes, as she scanned him from head to toe. Concern soon appeared in her face, and her hand came to grasp his shoulders. She then, opened her mouth to talk. "Itachi, is everything alrig-"

"Hey! Kaa - _san,_ guess what I did today!"

"Oh? One moment Naruto, let me talk to your broth-" Mikoto blinked as she was cut off by Itachi's soft, "Tell her Naruto."

Realizing that he didn't want to talk about it just then, she turned around, before staring at her middle child. "And what mischief did you cause today?"

"I-" The young boy started, before being cut off; by a voice at the door leading into the hallways.

"The dumb _dobe,_ got a building knocked down."

Standing in the doorway was a toddler version of Uchiha Sasuke. His black hair stuck straight up, as he crossed his arms over the black polo shirt he was wearing.

"Shut up _teme!_ I didn't destroy a building, the building destroyed itself."

"What?" Sasuke said, staring at the young _Jinchūriki._ "That makes no sense, whatsoever _Dobe."_

"Does too!" Naruto said, butting the younger boy in the head.

"Does not!" Sasuke said, just as commanding.

"Sasuke - _kun,_ Naruto - _kun,_ please behave."

"Kaa - _san,_ tell Sasuke - _teme_ that I didn't destroy the building," Naruto whined.

"No, Kaa - _san,"_ Sasuke insisted, "Tell the _dobe_ that i'm right, after all, _he_ was the one that caused the building to fall."

A hand fell on both of their shoulders, causing them to jump in fear. "Well," Itachi began, smiling down at them, "How about we say this: Naruto was the catalyst for the the buildings destruction, however, the buildings fell from the rotten logs it held."

Both the boys wrinkled their noses at this, at the same time, they began to speak.

"Itachi - _nii,_ what does catalys-"

"Well!" Mikoto exclaimed suddenly, "It's bathttime, Naruto - _kun,_ Sasuke - _kun,_ let's go upstairs."

"But -!"

"No buts." Mikoto said sternly, "Up, up, lets go - you too Itachi, I don't want you smelling like sweat and dirt."

"Alright Kaa - _san,_ I'll take it after Naruto and Sasuke." Itachi said quickly, he knew what would happen if his mother got angry.

Mikoto nodded at him, before making her way upstairs, her fists clenched around both Naruto and Sasuke(s) shirts. Itachi could hear both of the boys protests as they made their way upstairs.

Sighing softly, the black eyed boy slumped against the, now, closed door, his eyes shining with fear and sadness. Seconds past, as the Uchiha tilted his head backwards and a lone tear ran down his face.

"Itachi? Can you come help me?" His mothers voice called from her room.

Straightening himself up, the boy wiped the tears and rid himself of any negative emotion.

"Coming Kaa - _san!"_

...

Later that night, when the youngest Uchiha kids were asleep, Mikoto made her way, silently through the halls. Her hands where crossed behind her back and the silver nightgown she wore shifted through the air.

Finally, she stopped in front of a door.

She raised her hand up to the knob, before pausing and hesitating.

Something was wrong with Itachi, that she was sure off.

Her eldest son was an excellent liar, he could swindle himself out of any situation, effortlessly. In fact, he was so good at it, she wouldn't have even knew something was wrong if it hadn't been for his eyes .

They were haunted, a heavy lined gaze was stuck in them; alongside with guilt and pain.

Mikoto had seen that gaze before, she had seen it on her own face and the ones around her, one too many times.

The look of death.

Fugaku had told her to leave it be. he had said that their son was a grown up now, if he had something to tell them, he would have to speak up. He then, had ordered Mikoto to go to sleep.

She had refused.

 ** _It's an odd feeling,_** she mused to herself, **_Going against anata._** Mikoto wasn't used to going against her husband and if she hadn't gain a bit of backbone after the...war, she wouldn't have.

But this was her son, her darling baby boy.

She had to know what was wrong.

It took roughly ten seconds for her to filter her thoughts, before she pushed the door open and ducked in...only for a _Kunai_ to fly towards her. Easily avoiding it, the female Uchiha stared at the figure in front of her, her heart thudding against her chest.

"Itachi?"

His clothing hung off his small frame, almost as a towel; the onyx hair that adorned the top of his head was messed up, and frame was a quivering mess. The moonlight reflected off of his figure, casting show onto the wall, which covered half off his face. His shoulders were bent over and his hand clutched his face, which was pale white.

It was his eyes however, that concerned Mikoto.

A pair of red circles, with three black _tomoe_ stared back at her.

"Itachi, what...?"

Why did her son find the need to have his _Sharingan_ on, in the middle of the night?

Second, when did her son even activate his _Sharingan_?

Then she saw it.

The tears marks.

"K - Kaa - _san_?" Itachi asked, blinking out of his stupor.

His eyes moved from her to the _Kunai_ that was embedded into the wall, before widening in terror.

"I -" He began, but couldn't finish as he fell forwards.

Mikoto(s) eyes widened as she caught his smaller body; she heaved herself onto the bed, with her son in her lap. As his arms came to circle her stomach and chocked, loud sobs began to escape his mouth, the female Uchiha sighed and ran her hands through his hair. Peering at his shuddering body, Mikoto sent a wave of calming _Chakra_ into him, in hopes that it would somehow calm the panicked boy. It seemed to work, as his sobs evened out and soon the noises stopped completely. In fact, the only way that Mikoto would've know that he was crying, was by the fact that her nightgown was getting even wetter than before.

The crying eventually stopped and considering the way that Itachi's breath had a steady beat, it seemed that he was asleep. Sighing, the woman shifted herself and her son, so that he was lying down on the bed, tucked underneath the blankets.

Smoothing back his hair from his head, the older Uchiha exhaled, a look of pain contorting across her face. Gracefully moving, she slipped underneath the covers and pulled her son towards herself.

Fugaku could sleep without her for one day.

 **...**

 _When you think of the word pain, you would usually think of something physical or something that you could see._

 _But in reality, their are two types of pain._

 _Tangible and Intangible._

 _Tangible pain is the one that we are most used to. This includes falling and breaking a bone, getting a scratch or even getting a concussion etc._

 _Intangible, on the other hand, is very different._

 _It is the most long lasting and painful._

 _A side effect of Intangible pain, was guilt._

 _Like a parasite, it grasps onto you and refuses to let go. Gnawing and gnawing, until there is nothing left; but misery._

 _It keeps you up at night, tossing and turning for a sign of peace, or something that you could use to lie to yourself._

 _It never works._

 _The life of a Shinobi was filled with guilt._

 _Your hands were always filled with blood and lost dreams._

 _Your innocence, gone._

 _All it left in it's path, was pain._

 _So it was a cycle, blood, which led to guilt, which led to pain._

 _One which never ended._

 ** _..._**

 ** _At the age of nine Itachi Uchiha was forced to kill someone._**

 ** _Through the years that would soon come, his hands would often grow heavy, feeling, remembering, the effects of his first kill. Even though the process and thought, of killing was a second habit to him._**

 ** _He remembered it, because that was the day that his hopes and dreams left his body._**

 ** _It's what made him, who he was today._**

 ** _..._**

 **Alright, so I rewrote this chapter three, no _four fucking_ times; but I must say, I think did good...so it was worth it. Honestly, people underestimate how long it takes to get your shittogether and finally write something.**

 **As for Fugaku, don't be pissed at him; he'll actually be a great character throughout the first half of the book (Even if he does have the emotions of a pea...).**

 **Recently, I just learned that most writers on, do something called shoutouts? From the next chapter onwards, I shall see what it is and plan on doing it.**

 **Well, that was the chapter folks, hope you all enjoy it.**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**


	5. CH 5 The Start of a Change

**Hey guys, it's me!**

 **Now to all of you guys messaging, I wanted to really thank you for putting the time into reading and commenting on my stories. The amount of encouragement i'm getting is just amazing and makes me feel awesome!**

 **However, I did get a few questions, concerning the plot of 32 Seconds Away; ones which i'm happy to answer.**

 **These are the responses to them and I hope, that they clear things up.**

 **...**

 **1) With Naruto being raised by Mikoto and Fugaku how serious will he be? (Mad Hatter Stories)**

 _ **Well...he is still the same, however, due to some changes, he won't be as loudmouth or gullible than before. He will also be a bit more mature and extremely charismatic. While saying this, his prankster name will not be tarnished, only more** **extravagant** **, due to his increase of wit.**_

 **2) Will he still have the Uzumaki last name? (Mad Hatter Stories)**

 _ **Yes, Naruto will still hold the Uzumaki last name. Throughout the story, he will call himself, Uzumaki Uchiha Naruto.**_

 **3) Will he be a secondary main behind Hinata and Neji? (Mad Hatter Stories)**

 ** _Originally_** _ **, I had misunderstood this question; thinking it had asked whether or not it would be a NejiHina fic. However, I now understand it asked whether or not Naruto would be another main character. The answer to that is, that both Sasuke and Naruto are going to be the secondary main characters and honestly, I can put Sakura in there as well.**_

 **4) I** **s this a NaruHina story or a Hyuga-cest between Hinata and Neji? (Mad Hatter Stories)**

 _ **In the beginning I had wanted it to be a NaruHina story. I still do, however I am getting an overwhelming number of emails of Hinata with Sasuke or someone else. I'm still undecided and might just have my viewers choose, what ship they want. However, if I don't do that, it's most likely, NaruHina. (Note: NejiTen, will be another ship and if all goes well, so will SasuSaku)**_

 **5) Why is almost everyone in the Hyuga clan blue haired, when in canon only Hinata is? (Amezaiku)**

 _ **Well, I wanted Neji to have blue hair in the beginning and later on, have his hair adapt to brown. It kind of represented the change inside of him; and I wanted another way to show that. Before I knew it, I started labeling everyone as a bluenette. Thank you for telling me! I'll make sure to fix that from now on.** _

**6) Why are Neji and Hinata so smart when they are respectively three and two years old? (Amezaiku)**

 _ **About the smartness, in the beginning I had feared that I had made them too smart, but after reviewing it I realized that both of them are clan children. Therefore, they have more information and more expectations pressed down on them, from a young age. It only makes sense if they are a bit sharper. Not to mention, the age that Clan children learn to throw Kunai, in the Narutoverse, is when they are 18 months old; so it makes sense if they are more mature than normal children.**_

 _ **...**_

 **Those are the ones that I have for now! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them.**

 **Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**

...

 ** _(June 1st - Three Years after the Kyuubi attack)_**

It was morning in the Hyuga compound. The sun had rose over the clouds and shone onto the wooden ceilings, as the clouds moved by, smoothly.

Little Hyuga Hinata sighed, as her body begun awakening her from the peaceful sleep she had been in. Opening her eyes and blinking, wearily, the young girl groaned, before shifting herself, so that she was sitting upright.

However, as she looked next to her, she knew something was wrong.

A sense of cold radiating from the area to her right, the young girl, furrowed her eyebrows. Where was her mother?

Activating her _Byakugan_ , and pressing her lips together, the young girl saw the outline of someone in the bathroom. Coming to her senses, the Hyuga sharpened her hearing; only to hear the distant sound of gagging. Slipping out of bed, Hinatas(s) feet hit the ground, before she worriedly, made her way towards the slightly open door of the bathroom. Peeking her head in, she deactivated her _Byakugan_ , before talking. "O - Okaa - _san_ , a - are y - you okay?"

Himana, turned around, before wiping her drool from her mouth and smiling hesitantly at her daughter. "Hinata! I almost didn't hear you, you're getting better at hiding your signature aura."

Hinata nervously smiled, before asking, "W - What's going o - on?"

"Nothing, don't you worry about me—-" Himana was cut off as she let out a deep, heavy cough.

"K - Kaa - _san_!?" Hinata asked, as she moved forwards, so that she was crouched next to her mother. Placing an arm onto the other womans shoulder, the young girl frowned. "P - Please tell m - me, w - what(s) w - wrong!"

The woman smiled and opened her mouth to respond, when all of a sudden, she heaved towards the open toilet and retched. Wiping her mouth, the woman tried to hide her arm, but was too late, as her daughter had already witnessed what had come out of her mouth.

It was blood.

Standing up, the younger girl calmed herself, before talking. "I - I'm going t - to get T - Tou - _san_."

"No! You can't—-" The woman started, but no one was their to listen, as the younger girl had already left.

...

With her feet pounding onto the wooden tiles of the floor, the Hyuga ran faster, hoping to get her fathers office quicker. Finally reaching the last door to the left, the young girl grabbed the bronze knob and forced it open; forgetting to use her _Byakugan_.

Shoving the door open, the young girl ignored the disappointed look her father was giving her.

"Otou - _san_ , y - you need to c - come q - quickly—" the young girl cut herself off, as she saw who else was in the room. "H - Hizashi - sama! I - I'm s - s - sorry, I - I —"

"Hinata," Hiashi interrupted sternly, "Can you tell me, why you have decided to grace us with your presence?"

"Come on, Hiashi, don't be so stern with her. Now Hinata - _chan_ , tell us why you have come?"

Remembering why, the young girl widened her eyes, and urgently spoke, "Tou - _san_ , you need to come quickly!" This time, the girl spoke without stuttering, causing both men to stare at her weirdly. "Hinata what—-"

"It's Kaa - _san_ , something's wrong with her and I —"

By this time, Hiashi was out of his chair, his regular expression was troubled. "Hinata, stay here."

With that, he left the room.

Hinata exhaled and slumped against the wall, the exhaustion of the situation had started to catch up to her. As her eyes started to shut, she felt a warm hand ruffling her hair. "Don't worry, Hinata - _chan_ , everything will be fine."

...

She felt a poke on her forehead.

Then, it was followed by another one.

Hinata scrunched her eyes shut, couldn't they see she wanted to sleep?

"Neji - _kun,_ don't disturb Hinata - _chan!"_

"But Kaa - _chan,"_ The voice exclaimed, "She looks like a doll!"

"A doll that is taking rest," The other voice cautioned, "So therefore, let her sleep."

"Aww come on!"

Hinata groaned, before forcing her eyes open. Instantly, she regretted doing so and shut them.

Nope. Naw uh. It was to bright to wake up.

Not to mention she had a massive headache.

She would just stay still and go back to sleep-

Great, another poke.

"Kaa - _chan_! She opened her eyes! _Imouto,_ wake up~!"

"Neji, stop touching her!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are!" The other voice screeched out.

With her eyes twitching, the young winced, as she opened her lavender orbs just a crack. Sunlight filtered into them and it took a while for her to open them completely. When she finally did however, she moaned in pain.

Geez, her forehead was really pounding.

Where was she?

Turning to her right, the young girl jerked back, as another face came close to her own. "Hey _Imouto!_ Your finally away awake! Are you alright?"

Realizing that it was just Neji, the young girl cleared her throat and tried to talk. "I - I t - think s - so. W - Where a - am I - I?"

"Oh!" The young boy gave a toothy smile, before replying. "You're in my room! Tou - _chan,_ told Kaa - _chan_ and I that you passed out, so he brought you here."

"I - I s - see." Hinata replied before looking around.

The walls were a light shade of blue, with fleur de royals in beige, decorating them. In the corner of the room was a large wooden table, filled with drawers and a vanity sat above it. It was actually the words on the ceiling, however, that caught her eyes.

 ** _'Itami wa yoke rarenai.'_**

 _Pain is inevitable._

"H - hey Neji - _sama,_ what do those words mean?"

"Hmm?" The young boy followed the girls gaze to the black words carved onto his ceiling. "I dunno, Tou - _chan_ told me that the previous owner of the room carved it into the ceiling. "

"Pain is inevitable..." The girl, muttered, before pressing her lips together.

Suddenly a thought struck her and her eyes widened. "H - hey, N - Neji - _sama,_ w - what am I doing - g in your r - room?"

Neji frowned, before asking. "You don't remember?"

She almost shook her head to say no, when all of a sudden the events of the morning hit her and she scrambled out of bed, almost twisting her leg in the process. "O - Okaa - _san,_ she's hurt! I have to tell Tou - _san-"  
_

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, _Imouto.."_ Neji said, as he placed a hand onto her shoulder.

"That's right Hinata - _chan,_ you shouldn't be straining yourself!" Hyuga Hikari said, as she walked through the door and over to the young girl, a tray of food in her hands.

"B - but H - Hikari - _sama,_ Kaa - _san-"_

"Himana is at the hospital and is coming back later this evening, Hiashi is with her."

"O - Oh." Hinata murmured, before coloring slightly. " _G - Gomen_.."

"That's alright dear." Hikari said, kindly, before handing the girl a glass of water. "Drink up, then you can come join up for breakfast."

"I - I c - couldn't..."

"Nonsense!" Hikari said happily, "Besides, I always make too much food."

Neji gagged, causing the older woman to glare at him as she walked out. "Hyuga Neji, don't you dare give me that face!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

"I heard that young man!"

Hinata had to stifle her giggles at the mother and son duo, she felt like they could always put a smile on her face.

As Hikari walked out of the room, Neji turned towards her. "No matter what you do, don't eat anything she gives you."

"W - What, w - why?" Hinata stuttered out, confused.

"Because," Neji(s) face turned up into a frown, "Everything she bakes or cooks, she ends up burning."

"I - I'm s - sure it's not that bad.." Hinata started, only to hear a high pitched shriek from the kitchen.

Neji gave her a deadpanned look. "Told you."

...

Hinata fidgeted as she waited for her father.

Pressing her two index fingers together, the young girl sighed. It had been a day, a whole _day,_ since her mother and father had gone to the hospital and Hinata, was _very_ concerned.

There were Medic - _nins_ in the hospital, right? So couldn't they then just fix her mother up quickly. It wasn't like something was massively wrong...so then why did she have to stay there for a day?

Hinata cursed herself internally. Why couldn't she have noticed something sooner! If she had, then maybe her mother wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

 ** _It's because you're weak..._** The voice whispered to her. **_You're weak and pathetic. You can't even throw a Kunai the right way; all you do is stutter and-_**

"Hinata - _san_?" A voice called from the door.

Jumping up, Hinata blinked once, before replying. "O - Oh, Ko - _san; G - Gomen,_ I w - was lost i - in t - thought.."

The teenage Hyuga smiled, before replying, "Ahh, that's alright Hinata - _san."_

 _"A - Ano,"_ The young girl said, hesitantly, "M - May, I - I a - ask why you have come h - here?"

"Oh! Right, Hiashi - _san_ asked me to bring you to the hospital. He says that it's urgent."

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows, before replying. "A - Alright."

The silence was heavy as the boy - Ko - turned his gaze towards the floor.

"C - can w - we leave now?"

"Of course, _gomen_ Hinata - _san."_

"It's fine."

...

The walk to the hospital was quiet and awkward.

Hinata just wanted it to be over.

Reaching the steps of the hospital, the young man all but ran away from the little girl, she didn't blame him; after all, she was Hyuga Hiashi(s) daughter.

Sighing as she stared at the retreating form of the boy, the young girl then frowned as she looked up at the large building. Hesitating, she stared up at the daunting white front of the building, her heart thudding in her chest.

She was scared.

Not of the nurses, or of the needles, like most kids where. Nor, was she scared of the fact that she was a three year old, that was left alone in front of a rather _large_ building-

She was scared of what answers she would receive.

A hand fell onto her shoulder, causing her to jump up in fear.

 _ **What-?** _

Looking up, the young girl met a pair of kind onyx eyes. The owner of them had slightly tanned skin alongside of spiky blackish hair. His maroon lips were turned up into a smile as he stared at the younger girl.

"Need a little help there?"

"H - H - Hello U - Uc - chiha - _san,"_ She muttered, giving the older boy the largest smile she could muster.

An emotion flashed in his eyes, but as quickly as it came, it was gone; it unsettled her however, and she became slightly more wary.

"Ah, don't call me Uchiha - _san,_ it makes me feel old."

Hinata pressed her lips together as she spoke. "I - I'll n - ne - ed t - to k - know w - who y - you are, t - to say y - your first n - name, don't I - I?"

Realizing what she had done, the girl let out a squeak and quickly begun to apologize. " _G - G - Gomen..."_

Before she could finish however, the boy let out a laugh and patted her on the head. "I like you! The name's Uchiha Shisui, you can call me Shisui."

Hinata frowned, as she blinked. "I - It's n - nice t - to me - et y - you, Shisui - _san._ "

Shisui frowned, before letting out a cheery laugh. "I suppose that's the best I can get. Anyways, what's your name, Hyuga - _chan_?"

Hinata frowned, as her mind whirred. **_How did he know I was...oh right, my eyes._**

"H - Hyuga H - Hinata." The little girl said, quietly, her fingers instantly pushing themselves together.

"Well, Hinata - _chan;_ It's alright if I call you Hinata - _chan,_ right?"

Hinata bit her lips together. On one hand, he was technically a stranger, but on the other, it would be pretty rude for her to say no..."T - That's f - fine."

"Thanks. So Hinata - _chan,_ what are you doing in front of the hospital?" Shisui asked, grinning down at her.

Hinata paused, before finally deciding on, "I - I'm v - visiting Kaa - _san."_

The boys eyes softened, before he said; "Would you like some help?"

Hinata pressed her lips together, before sighing and then, smiling. "T - That w - would b - be ap - preciated."

Letting out a loud laugh, the young man opened the door for her. "Ladies first."

Hinata gave him an odd look before walking in. **_How odd,_** She thought to herself. **_I never thought of myself as a lady..._**

 _..._

Uchiha Shisui was having a good day.

He had eaten seven sticks of Dango for breakfast, gone and trained for a little while and even met up with his old _Genin_ team.

Everything was going great!

That is, until his _Sensei_ reminded him about his checkup at the hospital.

 _"All shinobi have to have a monthly checkup." Fumiko - Sensei, had said. "It's something that the Hokage enforces."_

 _"But Sensei-" He had tried to say, but was cut off by his female teammate, Arisawa Orhime._

 _"Come on Shisui - kun, you have to go! No excuses."  
_

Honestly, did they take him for a fool! Shisui knew why these checkups were made, they placed in order to see whether or not you were insane and would kill yourself. He was pretty sure he _wasn't_ off of his rocker, but no matter what he said or did, no one believed him.

 _"You've seen war," Sensei had said, "You've seen war and you'll need someone to talk to."_

Like hell he did! He may have not been a hundred percent okay, but he was fine!

 ** _Yeah,_** A voice said, bitterly in the back of his head _._ ** _Keep telling yourself that._**

Ignoring the voice, the boy pouted and made his way to the front steps of the hospital. He was about to move forwards, when he saw two figures hanging out by the front steps of the white building. Grinning, the black haired _Chunin,_ hid himself in a tree and watched.

After all, it was good for his training.

He watched as the boy, he had gone to the academy with him! - What was his name again? Kon? Koi?

Whatever it was, the boy was a jerk for letting a sweet girl alone in front of a rather large building. The girl frowned, before sighing and staring up at the building in front of her. So she was a Hyuga as well? It made sense, considering the fact that her shirt had the clan symbol on it.

Realizing that he looked like a pedophile, the young boy hastily got out of the tree and decided to just get the appointment over. Walking over to the little Hyuga he clapped his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump in fear.

"Need a little help there?"

The girl peered up at him, with suspicion in her eyes. Shisui almost twitched at how heavy the gaze was, before smiling and expecting a cold remark to escape from her lips. After all, the Hyuga(s) weren't the nicest clan aroun-

"H - H - Hello U - Uc - chiha - _san."_

Oh, well. That was cute, like in a little kid way. He was not expecting that.

How odd, a rouge Hyuga. There was no other selection really, after all she not knew that he was an _Uchiha_ (and trust me, a regular Hyuga wouldn't be nice to an Uchiha), not to mention stuttering? Unless he was wrong, Hyuga didn't stutter. Those uptight pricks thought stuttering were beneath them. She was like a kitten, cute and adorable. It was really odd however, for a Hyuga to be so differen- Oh, now she was looking at him as if he was crazy. He probably had taken too long to respond.

"Ah, don't call me Uchiha - _san,_ it makes me feel old," Shisui said, hoping to look kind; seriously, the girl looked as if she would jump out of her skin at any moment.

"I - I'll n - ne - ed t - to k - know w - who y - you are, t - to say y - your first n - name, don't I - I?"

Ah, it seemed like the kitten had claws, he smiled at this, just as she realized what she had just said.

" _G - G - Gomen..."_

Hoping to show her that it was alright, the boy let out a laugh and his grin grew wider. "I like you! The name's Uchiha Shisui, you can call me Shisui."

The girl seemed to furrow her eyes, before hesitantly, returning his smile. ""I - It's n - nice t - to me - et y - you, Shisui - _san._ "

Shisui frowned, before sighing. It seemed that while she was different from a regular Hyuga, the act of formality was drilled still into her. "I suppose that's the best I can get. Anyways, what's your name, Hyuga - _chan_?"

Her mouth twitched

"H - Hyuga H - Hinata." She muttered softly.

Hinata? Where had he heard that before...?

"Well, Hinata - _chan;_ It's alright if I call you Hinata - _chan,_ right?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and her body instantly tensed up. Her fingers pressed together, turning almost numb, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow; but then she let out a sigh.

For someone so small, she certainly thought a lot.

"T - That's f - fine."

"Thanks. So Hinata - _chan,_ what are you doing in front of the hospital?" Shisui asked, grinning down at her; he didn't mean to pry, it was just a fleeting question.

In no way, was he trying to stall getting into the building.

"I - I'm... v - visiting Kaa - _san."_

He hid a look of shock at her following sentence. It was so structurally sound for a four years old; he had nothing to say. Vague, but answering the question; it would've been more believable however, if she hadn't stuttered.

Shisui(s) grin faded slightly. "Would you like some help?"

The girl bit her lip, before sighing. "T - That w - would b - be ap - preciated."

Letting out a loud laugh, the young man opened the door for her. "Ladies first."

The girl stared at him confused, before shaking her head and walking inside.

 **...**

"Too, many doors!" Shisui whined as he stared at the other one in front of him.

Hinata smothered her giggles, as she responded with, "W - We've o - only g - gone t - through t - three, S - Shisui - _san."_

"That's three too many!"

Hinata just shook her head, before pushing open the next door. The duo walked through it and up into a large room. The walls were painted with and many wooden chairs were laying around. In the middle of the room was a large desk and seated in it was a brown haired lady, whose name tag read, Urukara Mina. she smiled professionally at the two of them and asked, "How may I help you both?"

Surprisingly, it was Hinata who first spoke. "I - I h - have to s - see, Hyuga Himana."

The nurse peered at the young girl over her glasses. "I'm sorry dear, but only family can visit."

Hinata opened her mouth, but Shisui beat her to the punch. "Hyuga - _san,_ is her mother."

The nurse then smiled. "Oh? Then come right along dear, i'll take you right to her- and you young man, how are you related?"

"I'm not related to Hyuga - _san,_ I just came to drop off her daughter." The black haired preteen replied, before smiling.

Mina then nodded, about to dismiss the boy, when another voice called for him.

"Uchiha Shisui - _san?_ You're late. Doctor Jiro is waiting for you, in the third wing."

Shisui groaned, before ruffling Hinata(s) hair. "That's my signal, see you later kiddo."

Hinata frowned as the boy walked away, a hand of hers reaching up to touch her hair, which he had messed up.

The nurse gave a wry smile, "Elder brothers, aren't I right?"

Hinata peered up at her, before smiling. "O - Oh, S - Shisui - _san,_ isn't my brother."

The brunette just smiled down at her, "You don't have to be blood related to be siblings, now come along dear; your mother is this way."

Anything Hinata had to say vanished after that one sentence. Swallowing hard, the young girl trembled, as she followed the nurse, to her mothers room.

 **...**

 **Well other than the fact that thought it would be funny to delete 2,000 words of my chapter, everything was fine!**

 **Hmmph! Stupid internet.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter, see ya soon.**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**


	6. CH 6 Uchiha Brothers, Siblings & Cherry

_**Two updates in a week! Let's see if I can try for three.**_

 _ **I think that y'all will like this one, I know I did.**_

 ** _(WARNING: This chapter will kind off be heavy on the angst, so please beware of that.)_**

 ** _\- Titania of Fairies_**

 _ **...**_

"You're a real _baka,_ ya'know _teme_."

"Shut up, _dobe!"_ Sasuke muttered as he crossed his hands over his chest.

The duo were stuck in a large, dull room. Dark Purple walls painted the walls of the room, along with red stripes and the Uchiha symbol decorating it. The room itself, had many shelves and a huge desk was lying in the center of the floor. On top of the desk, thousands of papers, laid there, some signed and others, not so much.

Shadows haunted the corners, causing Sasuke squirm, shivers going up his spine.

He never did like his Tou - _san(s)_ office.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Naruto asked, as he stared at the room around him.

Sasuke bit his lips, before pouting. They weren't screwed! Granted, if they were found in their they would get into a lot of trouble, especially considering the fact that Tou - _san,_ had told the two boys not to go into his office...

And yet, here that they were, in his office, with the door locked keeping them inside and unable to get out.

They were screwed.

"Why did you wanna come in here anyways? It actually sounds like something that I would do." The blonde stated, as he stretched his hands over his legs.

Sasuke frowned, before sighing, "'Cause, this is where Tou - _san(s),_ major documents are and I thought this might be where he would've kept the adoption paper..."

"Sasuke - _teme,_ " Naruto's eyes widened, as he begun to tear up; "You risked getting in trouble, just for that?"

Ah, the adoption papers.

Honestly, it wasn't that hard to think that Naruto was adopted. One, he had blue eyes and blonde hair; Unless his Kaa - san had cheated on his father, _and he really did not think that was the case,_ then it would only mean that they had adopted the _dobe._ Not to mention (and the toddler had really yelled at himself for not figuring this out earlier), Naruto had the last name of Uzumaki, tagged on.

Sasuke colored before turning away. "Tch. Whatever, I only did it because I didn't wanted to prove that I couldn't have been related to such an idiot-"

"Nope, nope." Naruto shook his head, before giving a teary eyed smile. "You can't back out of this one Sasu - _chan."_

A tick mark appeared onto the younger Uchiha(s) face. "How many times so I have to tell you. DON'T. CALL. ME. SASU - _CHAN."_

Naruto just wiped his eyes and laughed it off. "Sure, whatever Sasu - _chan."_

Sasuke growled and lunged towards the blonde, the two boys went tumbling into the left side of the room; before Naruto hit his head onto the bottom layer of the shelf and Sasuke fell on top of him.

The two boys held their breaths as the shelf swayed back and forth, before finally stilling. They both exhaled, before staring at each other and scrambling up, off of the floor.

"Well, that didn't work, what to do now...?" Sasuke asked, as he turned his head to stare at his twin brother (He was only younger by a month, dammit!). However, the said twin, was staring up at the wall, with a curious expression on his face.

" _Dobe?"_

The Uzumaki smiled and turned towards Sasuke, his eyes glinting in mischief. Sasuke instantly became weary, whenever Naruto got that look on his face, it only meant chaos.

"I think I found our way out of here."

The onyx haired Uchiha looked towards the area that the blonde was pointing at, which ended up being a window.

It was small, only about the size of the upper half of his body. The blinds were see through, but resulted in the boys seeing the glass behind it, that was dusty and full of grime.

Sasuke had to hold back a snicker at that (although Naruto did no such thing), after all, it was just yesterday that their father that proclaimed himself to be the kind of neatness.

Sighing softly, the young boy stared up at the window, trying to calculate the different ways he could possibly get up there.

There weren't many (considering the fact that he did not know how to use _chakra_ to climb a wall yet, (Itachi - _nii,_ had promised to teach him that!).

They were dangerous and the safest one resulted in a 75% chance of one of them getting hurt...

"We could always just wait in here..." He started, only to see the blonde(s) deadpan face.

Oh right. If there father caught them in here, there would a 100% chance of them getting hurt.

Plan B, it was then.

 **...**

 ** _This is the dumbest idea of all time,_ **Sasuke mused, as he shifted his weight once more so that he could balance himself on the chair he was standing on. **_No wait, this is the dumbest idea, next to sneaking into this stupid room._**

"Come on Sasuke - _teme,_ a little to the left!" Naruto tried to cheer, but instead caused the said boy to glare at him.

"You do it, if it's so easy!"

Sasuke reached out, his fingers skimming against the latch of the tiny window. "Almost...got it!"

His foot slipped, his eyes widened as his heart beat rapidly in his chest, his brain spiking into a state of shock.

He fell before he knew it.

The world flew by, almost as if it was moving in slow motion. His brain was was numb, his limbs frozen to the sides of his body.

However, he was soon shaken up by the rather big thump! Groaning, he blinked, once, twice, before staring up at the pair of blue eyes that had belonged to person who had caught him.

"Hey, _teme!_ Are you alright?"

Sighing, the Uchiha frowned and closed his eyes, ignoring the panicked shouts coming from the blonde boy.

He couldn't deal with this, now.

"If your sleeping...then i'll join you."

...

That was how Itachi found the two of them later, on the floor, with papers and pens everywhere.

Of course, he ignored the chaos around the tow boys, alongside of the fact that they snuck into somewhere _they shouldn't have,_ and instead, ordered them to clean it up; if they did, he wouldn't tell Otou - _san._

When they asked why, he smirked and shook his head.

"You're Uchiha(s), curiosity is in your blood."

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

Hinata trembled as she stood in front of the massive door.

"Well, dearie, this is it. If you need anything, just call the nurses office." And with that, the young girl was left alone.

Peering up at the bronze knob, the young girl took in a deep breath, before reaching up and twisting the knob, softly.

Slowly the door opened, as she peeked her head in. "H - Hello.."

The room was a bright shade of white, one which hurt her eyes and caused her to blink rapidly. Her area at the door cut off her view of the right side of the room, but on the left was a large chest, which was carved with golden engravings.

"Hinata, come in." Her Kaa - _san(s)_ soft voice echoed, throughout the room.

Taking in a deep breath, the young girl sighed, before hesitantly stepping forwards, the door slamming shut behind her...

 **...**

"I - I'm s - s - sorry, Okaa - _san,_ T - Tou - _san._ C - Could y - you r - repeat that?" Hinata asked, widening her eyes at the news she had just heard.

Hyuga Himana and Hyuga Hiashi exchanged a glance, before Himana hesitantly spoke.

"I - well, it's just that I'm - it's not really a big deal-"

"You're pregnant." Hiashi said, flatly, before sighing. "Honestly, it's not hard to say."

"Well - I - it's just that - I!" Himana sputtered, turning bright pink in the face, before turning to her daughter. "Hinata?"

"P - Pregnant? W - What does t - that m - mean?" Hinata asked, before her eyes widened. "I - Is it s - some type of d - disease! O - Oh n - no! I - I d - don't w - want K - Kaa - _san,_ to d - die-" "

"And now," Hiashi sighed, before smiling softly. "I know where your rambling comes from." Saying this, he stared at Himana, who slapped his shoulder lightly.

Flushing lightly, the young girl continued onwards. "S - So, w - what d - does it mean?"

Himana sighed, before smiling, softly. "It means, that you might have a younger brother or sister soon."

The silence that followed after that, was deafening.

"Hinata, are you okay with this?"

If the young girl had heard her, she didn't respond outwardly towards it. Her face and body were frozen, whether it may have been fear or shock, and her chest barely moved as she inhaled air.

Sibling.

She was going to have a sibling.

"L - Like, a - a b - baby?"

"Yes, like a baby." Himana said, slowly, as if wanting to break the news softer.

Amazing.

She would have a little sister or brother, that she could take care off, someone that she could cherish and play with. Someone she could love.

She would be an older sister.

The largest smile in humankind split across her face, as launched over and hugged her Kaa - san.

Correction: She would be _the best_ elder sister.

 **...**

"T - Tou - _san?"_ Hinata asked, two months after the initial shock, "W - When is Kaa - _san,_ c - coming home?"

The said man sighed, before turning his weary eyes towards her. "Soon."

"W - why is s - she even in the h - hospital a - anyways?"

"She needs to have a few checkups."

Hinata frowned. "B - But, she had her ch - heckups la - ast week."

Hiashi sighed, his eyes softening as he turned towards his daughter. "There has been some...problems, with Himana(s) pregnancy. The doctors are searching for a solution."

Hinata furrowed her brows, before biting her lips; "W - Will, Kaa - _san,_ b - be alright?"

Hiashi bit his lip. "She will be...fine. She'll be just fine." He didn't know wheter he was speaking to her, of himself.

Hinata nodded, before turning her attention back to her lap, smiling.

Oh, she was just so excited! She would be an elder sister, soon. Although, she would've liked to see Kaa - _san_ more; it didn't make sense for her to spend and entire week in the hospital...

 **...**

 _ **She was too caught up in her joy, to realize the truth.**_

 _ **Pregnant women didn't fall ill.**_

 _ **Pregnant women didn't cough up blood.**_

 _ **She didn't notice.**_

 _ **Not until, it was too late.**_

 **...**

"Okaa - _san?"_ Hinata asked, as she looked up from her the book in her hand. "W - why was O - Otou - _san,_ so worried today?"

Hyuga Himana looked up from the socks she was knitting, her eyes weary and exhausted. Her arms were rested upon her bloated, full, stomach, as her swollen legs were lifted onto another chair. Slowly, her pink lips turned up into a hesitant smile. "He's just busy alright, just forget about it, all right?" She asked, ruffling her daughters hair.

"A - Alright." Hinata said, before pressing her lips together and returning to her book. "A - Are you g - going back to the h - hospital a - again, t - today?"

Himana sighed, her eyes saddening. "Yes, I am."

"T - The d - doctors, h - haven't f - found w - what's w - wrong yet?"

"...No, they haven't."

"O - Oh, okay."

 **...**

The week had dragged by slowly and wearily.

And yet, the little girl couldn't forget.

She tried to, but every spare moment that she had, the question filtered into her brain.

Her eyes had seen it all. The weary lines on her Kaa - _san(s)_ face and the worry in her Tou - _san(s)_ eyes. Not to mention, both of them, seemed to be working harder; her Tou - _san_ had even started to come home early in the morning (way later than he used to). They both, were hiding something from her.

That was okay, she would just figure it out.

 **...**

"Oi _Imouto!"_

Blink out of her daze, the young girl peered up at her summoner. A young Hyuga Neji peered right back at her, his mouth turned up into a toothy smile, as he spoke. "Geez Hina, you're really out of it. I called your name for the last ten minutes!"

"O - Oh! _G - Gomen_ N - Neji - _sama,"_ The young girl stuttered out, her face taking on a light shade of pink.

"Naww, that's fine, but you mind telling me what your thinking about- that is, if it's not something personal!" The boy quickly added on at the end, causing the younger girl to smile.

"N - No, i - it's not really personal." Saying this, Hinata hesitated. "I - I'm p - probably j - just o - overthi - inking t - this..."

"Come on! Don't say that!" Neji said, smiling down at, "So what is it?"

Hinata deflated, a tired sigh going out of her mouth. "I - it's j - just that O - Otou - _san,_ s - seemed v - very worried t - this w - week."

"Hmm," Neji hummed, "It's probably due to the fact that Hima - _obasan(s),_ getting closer and closer to her deadline."

Hinata didn't think so, after all, if that was the case, her father would've made more time to spend with her Kaa - san. Either that, or he would shift Himana to the hospital, temporarily. The girl however, smiled and shook her head, hoping to satiate her cousin.

"Y - Yes, t - that must b - be it.." Hinata paused, before smiling up at him, "Thanks, Neji - _sama!_ "

"Eh?" The boy colored, "Your welcome."

They were quiet for a few seconds, before Neji spoke up again.

"How is Hina - _obasan_ anyways? I haven't seen her in a while..."

"S - She's alright. J - Just tired f - from the h - hospital," Hinata muttered, fiddling with her thumbs.

Realizing that it wasn't the best thing to talk about, the young boy moved on. "Hey Hina, you're coming to my birthday party next month, right?"

"O - Of c - course," Hinata stuttered, "Y - You're t - turning s - six, r - right?"

"Yeah! It's good that your coming, I didn't want the party to be filled by critical idiots." The young Hyuga stated, wrinkling his nose at that.

"N - Neji - _sama_!"

"Come on, you gotta admit that they're critical!"

"H - Hm!"

"Anyways, how are you moving on with your _Kanji_?" Neji asked, standing.

"H - H - Horrible!" Hinata said, burying her head between her legs.

"Don't say that! I'm sure you did great," The young boy gave her a big smile. Seeing that she was still upset, he frowned, before thinking.

Finally coming up with an idea, he bopped her on the head, causing her to look up at him curiously. "Tag! You're it!"

Hinata hummed to herself as she smiled giddily, before jumping up. Chasing after the young boy, who was taunting her, the little Hyuga didn't notice the looks that the elders where giving her from the side.

They were waiting and watching, for the right time to come.

So like predators, they could swoop down onto their prey.

Too bad the little mouse was next.

 **...**

Hinata furrowed her face in concentration, what was the symbol for L again? She remembered the ones for D, H and A, yet L was always the one that bewildered her.

"Hinata."

Was there a line, on top of the vertical? There was, wasn't there?

Her Tou - _san_ had come home the other night, his face had been worried. She had heard her Kaa - _san_ and him speaking in hushed whispers.

" _Hinata."_

Hmm, were the two lines connected, if they were how so?

Her Kaa - san had seemed nervous, almost to the point of fear. Her hands had shook and tears had welled up in her eyes.

What could cause her strong, beautiful, precious Kaa - san to cry?

 _"HINATA."_

Breaking out of her stupor, the young girl jumped up, her eyes meeting that face of her aggravated Tou - _san_. "O - O - Otou - _s - san.."_

"You should be more watchful Hinata. You never know what will happen."

Looking at her shrink under her gaze, the man sighed, before patting her head. "What are you doing? I thought that you had a meeting with Neji - _sama_ today?"

"O - Oh," Hinata said, relaxing a bit, "N - Neji - _sama,_ h - had t - to l - leave e - early. H - Hizashi - _sama,_ h - had t - to take him out."

"I see..."

"H - Hey O - Otou - _san,_ w - why'd you c - call me?"

The elder Hyuga seemed almost tired, as he spoke. "Do you know what date it is today?"

"T - The f - fourteenth, of June?"

Hiashi pressed his lips together. "Well-"

Hinata suddenly panicked. "I - I h - haven't forgotten a - anything important, have I - I!?"

Hiashi sighed, before shaking his head. "No you haven't. Although from now on, it's best if you write things down...You wouldn't want to forget anything else."

Taking it to heart, Hinata pursed her lips, before nodding. "S - So wh - hy is to - oday special?"

Hiashi sighed, before replying. "Today...is the death of my Okaa - _sama._ "

Hinata froze. "Y - Your, Okaa - _sama,_ Tou - _san?_ "

Hiashi nodded. "Yes, my Kaa - _sama,_ your Obā - _san._ "

"My, O - Obā - _sama,_ what w - was she l - like?" Hinata asked, curiously.

Hiashi smiled, before replying, his voice calm and soft, "First, she would've liked it if you call her Obā - _san."_

"A - Alright, t - then I - I'll c - call her O - Obā - _san."_

Hiashi(s) eyes crinkled, before he motioned to the door. "And secondly...come with me, Hinata. Let us take a walk."

A walk?

"Yes, a walk."

Oh, so she had said that out loud.

Hinata(s) cheeks flushed. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, the young girl set her quill down, before rising up from the _tatami_ mat. Moving forwards, the little Hyuga took a few strides, before standing in front of her Tou - _san._

"Are you ready to go?"

 _H - Hai!_ "

 **...**

 **...**

 **(Warning: Some Angst)**

 ** _Atelophobia:_**  
 ** _The fear of not being enough._**

Sakura (POV)

 ** _SMILE_**

My brother, often told me to smile.

Because a smile, could wash away all of your fears.

A smile could make another person happy,

Make them cry with joy.

So I did.

Why didn't my smile make you happy?

Why didn't it make me feel safe?

Why did you, instead of cry of joy, cry of anger?

I often wonder-

When I stopped smiling for myself,

And when I started smiling for you.

 **...**

 ** _LAUGH_**

Laugh, that's what brother told me.

Laugh when you find something funny, it's the right thing to do.

Because when you laugh, the whole world will laugh with you.

So I did.

But when, did my laughs grow so cold?

When did they grow so weak?

When did they grow so fake?

The world didn't laugh with, brother, it laughed at me.

 **...**

 _ **CRY**_

Don't cry, that's what _she_ told me.

Crying, is a weakness.

Something that others can exploit.

So I didn't.

I didn't cry as the funeral begun,

And I didn't cry till the end.

No one could get the best of me,

No matter what they said.

I won.

But as I walked back to my room, a tear slipped down my face.

You told me to smile and laugh.

How can I do that,

When you won't be able to,

Ever again.

 **...**

 _ **Alright, so that's a wrap for this chapter.**_

 _ **I must say that this took longer to write, than I expected it to take. Originally I planned on finishing it in two days...which soon became five. Hopefully, the words are worth it.**_

 _ **Anyways, thank you to the viewers who haven given me kind words and encouragement. One good comment or like and my day literally lights up. (Probably because I have no life...).**_

 _ **A special shout out to Aloreaii, for guessing what would happen next! Honestly, that was shocking and amazing!**_

 _ **You can expect the next chapter sometime over the weekend, I've already started writing it, i'll be finished soon.**_

 _ **Now, that's all for now! Ja ne.**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_


	7. CH 7 Ashes

_**Hi! The next chapter is finished~Yes!**_

 _ **ONWARDS! TO NARNIA! (I am so late...)**_

 _ **\- TITANIA OF FAIRIES**_

 **...**

"T - Tou - _san,_ why did you bring me h - here?" Hinata asked, as the duo stepped out into the Hyuga Clan(s) garden.

The wind was calm, Hinata noticed. Unlike the tenseness of inside the compound, the outside was serene and peaceful, the air significantly lighter that it was inside.

Having never come to the garden before, the young Hyuga stared slightly in awe and in shock at the image in front of her.

Thousands of bushes lined up in a mismatched pattern, each one of them full, with colorful flowers. Dark red camellias swirled around the staircase that led toward the garden, but as the duo went along, the camellias faded into medium pink magnolias. A stone - cut pathway separated itself from the plant life around it, creating an area to walk in. The marble twisted and turned, seeming to stretch on forever, before ending at the foot of a rather refined wooden bridge. A small river of pure blue water was ran underneath it's curved arch and green ginkgos had wrapped themselves around the wooden handles, small purple flowers growing from the spaces on them.

The plants, weren't the only beauty that her eyes saw.

Trees covered her vision, extending far past where the young girl could see. There were many different types, all of them collaging together to form a wonderful display. Black Pine and Kwanzan were the most planted, however, beyond them were rows and rows of Yoshino trees alongside of Lilac vines. They were huge, almost seeming to have touched the sky, which had turned a nice pinkish red in color. Different species of birds tweeted and sang songs, as the fluttered around the large branched, while bees and butterflies flittered about the flowers and shrubs. The wind swirled softly, causing petals to float down from above, creating a small multicolored layer over the healthy green grass, which lit up, due to the large, orange sun glowing, overhead.

The view was radiant.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hiashi asked, smiling at his daughters awestruck face.

"Yes." Hinata breathed out, her eyes wide in amazement.

Hiashi smiled, before moving forwards, his robes swishing behind him. "Come, there is more to see."

Hinata broke out of her gaze, before scampering to catch up with him, a smile lighting up her face.

 **...**

 **...**

"Itachi? Can you come down please?"

Hearing the familiar, soft whoosh, coming down the staircase, the female Uchiha smiled.

It had been an especially taxing week for her. Her position as a member of the Uchiha Police force, and as a _Konoha_ _Jonin,_ meant that she'd often be sent on missions; which cut down the amount of time she spent with her sons. It was hard, for both them and her, due to the fact that both Fugaku and her were often occupied, him with his position of Head of the Clan and her with her jobs. They rarely got any free time and even if they did, they couldn't completely relax. Even Itachi was busy, with his new _Chunin_ promotion; which often left Naruto and Sasuke to themselves or with another Uchiha.

Yet, Mikoto always looked forwards to dinner, as it was one of the only times of the day where all of them came together. No matter what happened, they all tried to make it so that they could eat together at night.

It hadn't always been like this. Mikoto could remember a time, where their family rarely saw each other; forget about talking.

She had been helpless back then, as she watched the people she loved grow more distant and distant from each other.

That, no longer happened.

In fact, their relationship, was the best in had ever been.

The female Uchiha smiled, as a familiar _chakra_ filtered into the main entrance of the Uchiha compound.

Her husband was home.

Humming to herself, the woman placed the last of the dishes down and stretched her hands above her head.

"Mikoto? I'm home."

Grinning widely, the onyx eyed female turned around and smiled. " _Kon'nichiwa_ , _Anata_."

Uchiha Fugaku blinked, the worry lines underneath his dark eyes lessening as he did so. Mikoto knew what others thought of her husband, they called him an expressionless stone and another was an arrogant bastard. She would admit, that the arrogant part was partially right, but in no way was he a stone. He loved her and their children, and expressed it; albeit, in a different way than most parents would.

She knew that he had softened, ever since she had kids...although she didn't dare say that to his face.

You were suicidal if you did so, otherwise.

" _Kon'nichiwa."_ A small, rugged, smiled tugged at the man's lips. "What's for dinner?"

"Hmm. Just some _Oden_ with rice; nothing much."

"It's still delicious," He muttered, pressing a soft kiss to her head. "How was your day?"

Mikoto fixed him with a slight glare. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" With this, she gave him a once over. "You look stressed."

Fugaku sighed, making the creases in his forehead, more prominent.

He _was_ stressed.

Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled her calming vanilla scent, before sighing. "It was a busy day today."

Frowning at him, she asked. "Would you like me to draw you a bath?"

"Hn. Lets eat first."

Mikoto opened her mouth, before her eldest son appeared by the doorway. "Tou - _sama, Kon'nichiwa."_

"Itachi, _Kon'nichiwa_." Fugaku said, as he nodded towards his son. " _Ogenkidesuka?"_

Itachi smirked, "Fine, but I think I should be asking you that...shouldn't I?"

Fugaku groaned before sighing, "Your son is intolerable."

Mikoto smiled, her eyes lighting up with laughter. Honestly, she had no idea when it had happened, but Itachi and Fugaku had finally managed to act some what (even if it was rather awkwardly), as a father a son.

Probably because Naruto kept whining that the tension between the two used to be so large.

Speaking of Naruto..."Itachi - _kun_ , could you call your brothers, please?"

Itachi nodded, before turning around and heading back upstairs, his voice etching off of the wooden walls as he spoke. "Naruto, Sasuke! Come downstairs, dinner is ready."

Shrugging out of her husbands embrace Mikoto slipped into her chair, and smiled as she heard the thuds of footsteps coming down.

"Tou - _san!"_ Her youngest boys exclaimed, as they launched themselves into the elder man's arms, Itachi trailing behind them

Fugaku sighed, before ruffling their hair slightly, a very crooked smile on his lips.

Mikoto laughed, her tense shoulders loosening slightly.

She really loved dinner time.

 **...**

 **...**

"Itachi - _nii_ , we're bored..." Sasuke whined, as the three Uchiha brothers lounged underneath a tree.

It was a sunny day, and a rare one, considering the fact that Itachi didn't have any missions scheduled for then.

"Yeah," Naruto pouted, "You said that you would teach us some cool _Jutsu_! You haven't done that yet."

Itachi sighed, before cracking his neck. In honesty, both of them should start to learn the Uchiha Clan techniques, at the age of four, however, they constantly whined, stating that they were ready for it now.

While he had promised them that he would teach them something, he had only done so, so that they would lay off of him. He thought that they would forget about it soon.

It seemed as if, he was wrong.

"I-" He started, but trailed off as two puppy faces filled his vision. Puffing out a breath, the young _Chunin,_ gave up. "Fine, i'll teach you another _chakra_ excersize."

"Another one.." Sasuke groaned. "Kaa - _san,_ already taught us the leaf sticking one."

"This one is different, and a bit harder." Itachi reassured them causing Naruto to cheer with joy.

"Really, what is it!?" The blonde asked, smiling.

"Hn. I bet that i'll do it before you; like last time," Sasuke teased as Naruto wilted.

"Just 'cause you're better at _chakra_ control, doesn't mean I won't be able to kick your as-"

At this, Itachi leveled the boy with a glare, causing him to back up. "Butt. I'll kick your butt, _teme_!"

The eldest Uchiha sighed. "You won't be able to kick _any_ butt Naruto, if you can't handle these _chakra_ exercises."

Naruto frowned, before crying dramatically, "I try! I really do, but I can't do the stupid thing!"

Itachi(s) eyes crinkled as he filed the information away in his mind. He would bring up with his parents later, just in case something was actually wrong with Naruto.

"So what is it!?" Sasuke asked, excitedly, leaning forwards.

"Ah, ah, ah- You need to do something if you want to learn this." Itachi teased, as an idea struck him in the head.

"I should'a known that there was a catch," Naruto frowned.

"I'll teach you this excersize-" Itachi said, standing up. "-If, you can tell me exactly what _chakra_ is."

They both stilled for a moment, before Naruto hesitantly, spoke up. "It's the stuff that flows inside of us?"

Itachi smirked, as he flicked both of them on the head, causing huge shouts to echo from them.

"Incorrect. Find me when you have the right answer."

With that, the onyx haired Uchiha, formed a set of handseals and with a poof! He was gone, leaving two, very frustrated children in his wake.

Itachi had underestimated the power of a frustrated child, and now, there were two.

 **...**

Uchiha Shisui was confused.

"Soooo, let me get this straight," The teenage Uchiha begun, "You want _me_ to tell you both, what _chakra_ is?"

The two boys stared up at him expectantly and nodded.

"Why?"

At this Sasuke's ears tinged pink. " I - It's because...we were just curious. That's right-"

"Honestly, Sasu - _chan,_ you're going to have to learn how to lie better than that," Shisui snorted, before turning to the blonde. "And you, what's your excuse, Naru - _chan_?"

Naruto blubbered, before blurting out, "Itachi - _nii,_ promised to teach us a new _chakra_ excersize, if we could explain to him what _chakra_ was!"

" _Dobe..."_ Sasuke whined, sending the other boy a glare. "You weren't supposed to tell him!"

"But..." Naruto began, only to be cut off by Shisui(s) laugh.

"No...it was a good thing that he did." Shisui wiped the mirth from his eyes before grinning widely. "Tell you what, because it was Ita - _chan,_ that set these rules...i'll help you."

"Really!?" Sasuke asked, cautiously, as Naruto cheered. "What's the price?"

At this Shisui cackled, "All I need you to do, is if Ita - _chan,_ asks you where you learned what it is, is for you to say a few _simple_ things...that's all."

"Alright!" Sasuke cheered, as Naruto scrunched his eyes together. "What is _chakra,_ Shisui - _sensei!_ "

Shisui grinned, as a slightly sadistic looked entered his eyes, slowly he begun. "Well, my precious little students, _chakra_ is the flow of life, there are two different types of _chakra..._ "

 ** _THREE HOURS LATER_**

"...and that, my darling students, is _chakra."_ Shisui smiled happily, as he stared down at the two confused boys. "Any questions?"

Sasuke stared up at the elder Uchiha, with a look of boredom and utter confusion on his face. Slowly, slapped his face, before comically sighing. "I stopped listening after you began talking 'bout _'root' chakra,_ or whatever."

Shisui hummed, before turning his gaze to the blonde Uzumaki, who was asleep on the grass, A thin string of drool coming out of his mouth. He looked so peaceful...and Shisui couldn't have that, could he?

Grinning, the male Uchiha, pulled opened his water bottle cap and dumped the bottle it right above the blondes head.

As the water splashed onto Naruto, the blonde lept up, before slipping and falling backwards. Glaring at the other two, who where laughing at him, Naruto growled. "Hey! What was that for?"

Shisui laughed, as he teased the younger boy. "Well, Naru - _chan,_ it isn't really nice to sleep when someone is talking to you."

"Hmph!" Naruto grunted, as he glared at a laughing Sasuke. "Shut up _teme!_ Anyways, there was no way I could've understood any to the gibberish that you were sayin'; so I decided to make use to my time. After all, you did once tell me that I had to spend my time wisely."

Shisui laughed, once more, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Alright then, since you've managed to trick even me...I'll give you the real definition of _chakra._ "

Naruto and Sasuke froze, and Sasuke pointed a finger at Shisui, unamused. "Are you telling us, that wasn't the right definition of _chakra._ "

"Did I say that?" Shisui whistled, before raising his arms above his head. "No, that was the real definition of _chakra,_ but there is a more general one."

"What is it, then?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

" _Chakra_ is basically a form of Energy."

A silence settled over them, as Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"Then why did you have us listen to that stupid definition, for three hours!" Sasuke exploded.

Shisui smirked, a classic Uchiha smirk, "Because it was funny."

The youngest Uchiha boys exchanged a glance, before nodding at each other. Facing forwards, Naruto cried out, "Attack!" and they both charged at the teenage boy, who effortlessly dodged out of the way.

" _Maa, maa,_ you're going have to try harder if you want to hit me, Naru - _chan,_ Sasu - _chan._ "

"DON'T CALL US THAT!"

 **...**

(One day later)

"You're telling me, that you have already learned what _chakra_ is, in a day?" Itachi asked, amused as he stared at the two toddlers in front of him.

"Yup!" Naruto chortled. " _Chakra_ is basically, some form of energy."

"There are two different types of _chakra,_ as well. Spiritual _chakra_ and Physical _chakra_." Sasuke added, smiling up at his _aniki._

Itachi smiled, before nodding. "That is correct."

Both of them cheered, as Itachi spoke next. "When did you find out?"

"We sucked it up yesterday, and searched for an answer!"

"And how," Itachi began, "exactly, did you find out?"

They both exchanged a glance, before Sasuke turned towards his elder brother. "The gods had spoken," Sasuke said seriously, causing the eldest Uchiha brother to stare at him weirdly.

"What?"

"They had spoken," Naruto said, nodding along. "They have told us of glories of the past and whispers of a distant and yet, untouchable, future."

"We shall bow towards them, with our utmost sincerely for portraying this knowledge and wisdom." Sasuke straightened up his back, his face blank.

Together they spoke. "Our worthless self's can never compare, to the great and almighty, mustache gods!"

Itachi stared at them for a minute, before slapping his head. "Shisui, put you put to this, didn't he?"

What he got in return, was two rather large smiles.

"He did, did it work?" Naruto asked, excited and hopeful.

Itachi sighed, before massaging his temples, slowly, he let out a breath. "Yes, it did. I will teach you a new excersize."

Both Naruto and Sasuke cheered, as Itach stared down at them, his eyes unreadable,

Was it really his fault that he didn't want to teach them a new _jutsu_?

After all, they were his brothers and he didn't want them to grow up so fast.

Not like he had.

 **...**

 **...**

The walk had been silent.

Hinata had spent her time viewing the gorgeous scene of nature and woods surrounding them, and yet, her Tou - _san,_ had not once brought up why he had taken her here.

"T - Tou - _san_?" She asked, as they finally stopped on the wooden bridge.

He almost seemed lost in thought, as he smiled at her. "Yes, Hinata?"

"W - Why d - did you b - bring m - me h - here?"

The man paused, before turning towards the little Koi fish in the pond. "Do you see those fish, Hinata?" He asked, evading her question.

 _"H - Hai,_ I - I do," She answered, staring down at the flitting, colorful, animals.

"Can you tell me, what is the similarity about them and us?"

Hinata paused, before pressing her lips together. "T - The fish and u - us, T - Tou - _san_?"

" _Hai._ "

Hinata grew silent, her mind whirling fast than her body or brain could comprehend. How were _fish_ and humans similar? Humans were related to animals, after all, they were formed by the evolution of monkeys, but now, both species were very diverse.

"W - We b - both need the basic necessities?" She finally said, making it sound more like a question.

Hiashi exhaled, before nodding. "That is part of the answer, both humans and animals have many things that are similar. The need to eat, sleep, drink, have a shelter and be loved are the common ones, however, their are two, which matter the most. Can you tell me, what they are?"

Hinata shrunk underneath her Tou - _sans_ searching gaze, her teeth instantly biting her lip. At her timid structure, Hiashi shook her head, before sighing. "I won't yell at you, if you get it wrong Hinata; I am just seeing if you understand what I am asking you."

At this, the girl relaxed and pursed her lips. Why would her Tou - _san,_ be asking her this question? Was he testing her, on something that had already been taught to her before, or was he trying to teach her something?

 ** _It's odd,_** she thought to herself, _**for Tou - san to give me a question with a vague answer...**_ unless, the question was pertaining to her.

Maybe it was.

What was so different about her, than others?

Was others in general? If it was, then there were many differences as every human was different. If that wasn't it...could her father be talking about the clan? He had to be, or else, why would he bring up the matter with her?

She dipped her head, tears welling into her eyes.

It pained her to admit, she was the black sheep of the Hyuga clan.

The one that didn't belong.

 ** _Now is NOT, the time._** She thought to herself, as she willed the tears to dissapear. _**Tou - san isn't cruel, he wouldn't do that on purpose.**_ Filled with new resolve, the girl clenched her fists and raised her head.

 _ **Could it be skills? Be how would that pertain to animals? Tenseness? Could that be involved in this question? Although, I do doubt that animals have a tense aura at all times, like the clan does. Is the clan, even involved in this? Am I thinking too much?**_

"Hinata?"

Sighing slightly, the young girl nodded to her Tou - _san,_ before biting her lip. Finally arriving upon an answer, the young girl ducked her head, before murmuring it out. "Feelings?"

As it was true, Hinata probably had more feelings, then all of the Hyuga(s) combined. (Excluding Neji - _sama,_ after all, he was the Heir).

Hiashi raised his eyebrows, a feat which would seem shocking to most. "You are more perceptive that I had thought you to be, Hinata. Yes, you are correct, both humans and animals have the same emotions. Hatred, anger, pain, these are just some of the few that we share in common. However differently we may express it."

Hinata cocked her head, before blinking. "A - And, the o - other t - thing?"

Hiashi fell silent, his eyes glazing over, almost seeming to be in the distance. "Yes, the...the other thing."

Little Hinata furrowed her eyebrows at this. Her Tou - _san,_ never said thing! It was very informal and impolite to say that word, in fact, no proper Hyuga said it. "T - Tou - _san?"_

Hiashi seemed to not have heard her, as he stared down into the crystal clear pond, underneath them. "Hinata...can you tell me what is the difference between the Main House and the Branch House?"

Hinata jerked, taken aback. It was unexpected and shocking, after all, weren't they talking about animals a minute ago? Not to mention, why would her Tou - _san,_ be asking _her_ of all Hyuga(s) about the difference in the Hyuga Clan. Out of everyone, she the only person who would probably get it the most wrong. Even Neji - _sama,_ would beat her at that!

Although Neji - _sama, did_ beat her at a lot of things.

Straightening her back, the girl repeated the same things that she told Neji - _sama,_ (excluding the seal, she wasn't quite sure how her Tou - _san,_ would react to that), in a very shaky voice. When she finished, the young girl crossed her arms over each other, before placing them down. Hiashi sighed, once more, before closing his eyes. "You...you really are a lot like them."

Curious, the young girl asked, "W - Who a - are, 't - them', T - Tou - _san._ "

The elder Hyuga exhaled, before replying. "Some...very, _very,_ important people."

Hinata colored at the unexpected comment, blushing red, the young girl spluttered out a response, before quieting and trying to compose herself. How could it have been possible, someone like _her,_ to be like someone who was important?

Important people, didn't stutter; they let the public know and understand what they were aiming for.

Important people, weren't shy; they spoke confidently, and had an alluring charisma to them, causing others to instantly be drawn towards them.

Important people, weren't followers; they were leaders, setting an example for the rest.

Important people, weren't below average; they soared above the line, stretching their wings, to as far as they could go.

Important people, were strong; _they were nothing like her._

Deciding to voice her question, the young girl pressed her two fingers together. "H - How did y - you know 't - them', T - Tou - _san?"_

Hiashi seemed to not have heard her, as his hand settled on top of her head. "...They were very close to me."

Hinata huffed slightly, before frowning. No matter how she phrased her question, she reaped no rewards! Her Tou - _san,_ refused to reveal exactly what or who, he was talking about. It was annoying, and unsettling; after all, she really didn't like it, when her questions went unanswered. (Unless they were stupid, although, she _had_ stopped asking stupid questions (Well, she thought she had)).

Opening her mouth, the young girl, started to ask another question, when she was suddenly cut off, by her Tou - _san._

"I never wished, for this to happen." He started, his shoulders drooping from an invisible force. "You must believe me Hinata. I really wouldn't wish for this to happen, at least, not so early in your life."

The young Hyuga stayed quiet, however, she peered up at her Tou - _san,_ in confusion. What was he talking about?

Why did he sound so...regretful?

"I should've known, it was inevitable, after all." The man chuckled, softly, his tone dripped in bitterness and melancholy.

"T - Tou - _san_?"

Hiashi exhaled, heavily, before blinking; Finally, he spoke, his voice resigned. "My Okaa - _sama..._ was an extremely wise lady."

At this, Hinata perked up. Her oba - _san,_ was the reason they had gone on this walk, so the bluenette stilled and strained her ears, in hopes to catch everything her Tou - _san,_ would tell her.

If Hiashi noticed her renewed interest, the man didn't say anything, as he moved on. "She was one of the most regal woman in the Hyuga Clan, a great female leader and also an outstanding Kaa - _sama._ As a kunoichi of Konoha, she was regaled as one of the greatest TI officers, working directly underneath, Ibiki Morino. Her mind was a maze, every nook and crammy was different, than a regular human beings."

Hinata was in awe, by just hearing about this woman. For someone to be praised, so much, by her Tou - _san_ at that! They must be exceptional.

"S - She s - sounds, a - amazing," Hinata murmured, expressing her amazement.

"She was."

Hinata fidgeted slightly, before straightening herself up and asking in a firm voice, the question she had been holding inside of her, since the beginning of the conversation. "T - Tou - _san,_ why did you bring m - me out here?"

She was actually quite happy, she only stuttered twice!

 ** _What a stupid thing to be happy for..._**

Hiashi turned his head to look at her, and it seemed to be the first time in the conversation, where he actually was looking straight at Hinata. Slowly, he spoke once more, his tone now composed and quiet.

"I...my Kaa - _san,_ had a saying, something which she used to repeat to us every night. It was, _'Fate is a mystery, one you can't escape.'_ Whenever, she spoke of it, her eyes would turn misty and sorrowful. I never understood why, until...you were born."

"W - Wha-"

"There are something(s) that the Hyuga Clan follows. Some of the rules, are ones that I don't necessarily believe in."

 ** _...What?_** Hinata stilled in shock.

Her mind was in a state of dismay and her heart slowed, in her chest.

For the following, two reasons.

The first, was that, her father was heavily devoted to the Clan and their rules, often scolding (yelling) at those who broke or even, stepped out a toe. As the Head of the Branch house, he was constantly leaning on a thin line, careful not to cross one side, or the other. Unbeknownst to anyone, the young girl had even seen her Tou - _san,_ reading the rule book, before bed (Honestly! Who did that?).

The second one, was the most severe one, however.

Those who, disagreed with the Hyuga rules, (especially the Branch members) were given, capital punishment four.

Hinata didn't know what it was, however, capital punishment five, was death.

What her tou - _san,_ was saying, was very dangerous.

Activating her _Byakugan,_ discreetly, the young Hyuga looked around, cautiously, to see whether anyone had overheard them. Sighing, to herself, she turned back to her tou - _san,_ who stared at her amused.

"Do you think," He began, "That _I_ would say something like this, with others around? Preposterous. No, that's the reason why I brought you into the garden."

Widening her eyes, (her cheeks turned brighter), the young girl nodded, before frowning to herself. Of course, she should've thought of that.

Moving onwards, the elder brunette, placed his hand on his daughters shoulders. "The Hyuga Clan, has many skeletons in its closets. Most, of which, is gruesome and deathly; in fact, many people don't live long enough to unearth all of it's secrets. However, there is _one,_ which all Branch members have experienced. It is our fate to do so. I did it, and now, you will as well."

"E - Eh!?" Hinata muttered, anxiously, "W - What i - is i - it?"

She didn't know if she could handle something so big.

Hiashi turned his head once more, so that she could only see the side of his face. "Something...I don't want you to hold."

Her tou - _san,_ didn't think she was ready for it? Hinata slouched slightly at that statement, before whispering her next words out. "T - T - Then, c - can I - I w - wa - ait, b - before I - I t - take i - it?"

"No, you cannot. Although.."

His next words were whispered and Hinata found herself straining to hear them.

 _I wish you could.._

"B - But T - Tou - _san,"_ After a moment of pause, Hinata shyly interjected, "H - Hikari - _san,_ t - told m - me that w - we c - can c - change o - our fate."

Hiashi(s) mouth twitched at this, and her turned to look at his daughter, his mind fully prepared to say something. However, the second he saw her titled, curious, face, he faltered, before turning away. "We cannot control fate, Hinata; it is cruel mechanism, one which will always haunt us. However it is our destiny that is in our hands and if we use it correctly, it shall prosper gloriously."

"A - A - And, i - if w - we don't u - use i - it c - correctly?" Hinata asked, slightly curious.

It was silent between them, as the sun began to set and the shadows creeped over the beautiful lawn; covering it, with darkness.

"It shall burn, and all that will be left, is ashes."

 **...**

 _ **Okay, first of to those of you who are yelling at me, I AM SORRY!**_

 _ **I'm not joking. I honestly have no excuse, other than the fact that I was busy the entire weekend wrapping up Christmas presents and preparing for my play rehearsal (Huh, that is an excuse...). Anyways! I got back to writing the chapter Monday evening, fully prepared to publish it then, however one thing went to another and instead of writing 3,000 words, I wrote 5,000 words. But it's great, after all, y'all get a longer chapter!**_

 _ **Ja ne, for now!**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_


	8. CH 8 MARKED I

_**The newest chapter! I hope y'all are ready!**_

 _ **Okay so, some of you have asked me whether or not i've got my brains on right.**_

 _ **The answer to that, is no.**_

 _ **However, I can see why you'd ask, considering the fact that Sakura DOES NOT, you heard me, DOES NOT, have a brother in the cannon!**_

 _ **So you ask me, why would you add in an OC?  
**_

 _ **My answer to that is, NOT TELLING YOU~!**_

 _ **Yet.**_

 _ **Honestly, the only reason why I even thought of adding an OC (that too, as Sakura(s) sibling), was because of an article I read. Apparently Kishimoto -** **sama** **, had originally thought of having Sakura have an elder sister, but decided not to, as he wanted the girl to be the only child type, (let us all admit it, while I do love Sakura, she was slightly a brat when she was a genin, (and yes, I know about the bullying, but i'm still saying that she was kind off of her rocker with the whole fangirl thing.)) Anyways, I decided that since this was my AU, then I would change it up to however, I saw it fit.**_

 _ **Sakura never really had much of a drive of being a shinobi (In the beginning), in fact, the only reason why she attended the Ninja Academy, was so that she could keep up and stay with Ino; a relationship she broke off, to fight for Sasuke(honestly!). Even after that, one of the only reasons Sakura trained under Tsunade, was so that she could keep up with Naruto (who was with Jirariya) and Sasuke (Who was with Orochimaru) and while I love her character, I wanted to give her a stronger drive to become a ninja.**_

 _ **That's where her brother will come in.**_

 _ **I won't say anymore, but for those of you, that are confused, I hope this clears things up for ya'.**_

 _ **The next question I received, is whether or not Hinata(s) mother was going to die. The answer to that...is known to me, but unknown to all of you, but believe me, the answer is sad. It's only for the change for Hinata, however.**_

 _ **Thank you to**_ _ **Ambermissrandom97**_ , **_for your kind words! Seriously, it's amazing to hear that your stories are good and people are actually enjoying them! You are really, very kind~!_**

 _ **I**_ _ **'m so sorry that i'm late! My family and I went on a break and I rarely got any time to write! I managed to squeeze a few words in every day and viola! This chapter was made!**_

 _ **It's a Christmas gift(Let us say that...)!**_

 _ **Onwards we go~!**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies.**_

 _ **...**_

Emotions were clouding her mind, pain, sorrow, guilt.

Anger.

So much anger.

But let us not talk about that now.

It is important to start from the beginning.

After all, that was when everything was fine-

and then slowly, became hell.

She should've known, after all, it was inevitable.

 **...**

 **...**

"Remember Hinata," Hiashi muttered, as he and his daughter walked the dark halls of the compound, his footsteps silent, compared to hers. "You must be respectful and while Neji - _sama_ and yourself are close to each other, you must be formal with him in front of the elders. Do you understand?"

" _H - Hai_ O - Otou - _san,"_ The littler girl muttered, fiddling her thumbs together; her pretty silver yukata swishing at her feet.

She didn't like these fancy parties. In fact, she rather loathed them, considering the fact that it was all about the Elder giving snide remarks about how utterly incompetent she was, that were thinly coated with sugar.

Neji - _sama_ was right, the elder really _were_ critical idiots, although Hinata wouldn't dare say that out loud.

"Are you ready?" Her Tou - _san_ asked, as he stood in front of the door, that led to the main ballroom.

 _Inhaling a deep breath, the young girl pushed back her shoulders and raised her head slightly-_

" _Hai!"_

"Stay close."

 _Even though she knew that by the end of the night, it would be completely knocked down._

 **...**

Hinata shrunk onto herself, as she stared at the quiet chaos around her. It was horrible, it hadn't been even ten minutes and yet, she had instantly regretted coming. Tou - _san,_ had gone off, stating that there was something _very_ important that he had to do; he seemed nervous, so Hinata - reluctantly - let him go. Usually, she would stay with her Kaa - _san,_ however, Himana was six and a half months pregnant and her Tou - _san_ didn't want his wife to tire herself out.

So she was left alone, to her own devices.

 ** _Well,_** she mused to herself, **_It's better than being the center of attenti-_**

"Psst." A voice called behind her, causing her to jump and turn, her lips pressed together in nervousness, as she did so.

When she noticed who it was, however, her face became relaxed and her mouth turned into a smile. "N - Neji - _sama,_ happy b - birthday!"

"Thanks!" The young boy whispered back, his face splitting into a rather large grin. "I'm glad I found you! I've been searching forever, just to find out that you've been hiding here."

" _G - Gomen..."_ The young girl muttered, blushing slightly. "T - the on - only r - reason I - I didn't l - look f - for you was b - because T - Tou - _san_ t - told me t - that I - I hav - have to t - to be f - formal with y - you..."

"Ahh, ya. Tou - _chan,_ told me about that," At this, Neji frowned, "Apparently 'cause i'm in the Main House and your in the Branch House. It's just like you said, there are _a lot_ of differences between the two of them." The young boy pouted, before sulking. "I've got soooo much work to do..."

"L - Let u - us n - not talk a - about t - that n - now." Hinata interjected, feeling the atmosphere around the boy become depressed. "W - What d - did y - you r - receive f - for y - your b - birthday?"

"I got...hey, did you get me a present!?" The young boy exclaimed, staring at her in joy.

"O - Of c - course!" She giggled, before smiling. "B - But i - it's b - back i - in m - my r - room. T - Tou - _san,_ w - wanted me t - to keep it th - here, s - so I d - don't l - lose it. I - I'll bring it t - to y - you a - at the e - end o - of the p - party."

Neji grinned, slightly, perking up from his previous gloom. "Alright! I can't wait to see it. Anyways, I got a stack of dung bombs from Kaa - _chan,_ a set of new toy _kunai,_ from Tou - _chan,_ Hiashi - _oji_ even sent me a present - although it was a book on _chakra_ control. But my favorite present was Hima - _oba(s)._ She baked me _64_ whole cinnamon buns!"

At this Hinata(s) pink lips, turned into a hopeful smile. "D - Do y - you h - have an - anymore?"

"Well..." Neji started, before teasing her. "I'm not like you Hina, I can't eat 70 whole buns in under thirty minutes..."

"Do - on't b - bring t - that u - up! I - It o - only h - happened o - once!"

Neji grinned at the blushing young girl, before chuckling with mirth. "Come on _Imouto._ You know i'm just kiddin', besides I know you like them as well, that's why I saved some for you!"

"O - Oh! _Ar - Arigato_ N - Neji - _sama-"_

"Neji - _sama,_ Hinata."

Turning quickly, the young girl, looked up to see her Tou - _san._ His face was shadowed and was wary alongside of serious, while his knuckles were white, as they clenched together.

"Hiashi - _oji,"_ Neji cheered, unaware of the seriousness in his gaze and the confusion in Hinata(s). "What brings you here?"

Hiashi nodded, before speaking, his tone blank; "I am here to wish you a happy birthday Neji - _sama._ I hope that fate is kind towards you."

"Thank you," Neji said, falling into a formal bow, his mouth twitching from holding back a smile. "I wish you the same!"

Hiashi nodded, before turning to Hinata, his eyes grim. "Hinata," He started out, before hesitating "Come with me, Elder Hikaru - _sama_ and Hizashi - _sama,_ wish to speak with out."

Hinata froze, her eyes widening in fear, slowly, she clenched her fists before nodding. " _H -_ Huh!?"

An elder? What did they want from _her_ of all people?

Looking up into her Tou - _sans,_ eyes, Hinata recalled the conversation they had, just last month.

 _"The Hyuga Clan, has many skeletons in its closets. Most, of which, is gruesome and deathly; in fact, many people don't live long enough to unearth all of it's secrets. However, there is one, which all Branch members have experienced. It is our fate to do so. I did it, and now, you will as well."_

"Should I come too?" Neji asked, seeing the way that his cousin sister closed in on herself and off how stern his uncle had become.

"...No, that will not be necessary, Neji - _sama._ " Hiashi said, after moment of pause, "Hinata shall be proficient enough. Come now, we must go."

He said enough with so much dread that Hinata clenched her fists harder, her palms becoming pale and sweaty.

Bowing towards her now, frowning, cousin, the young girl followed behind her tou - _san;_ The sentence he had said months ago, echoing in her head.

Her Tou - _san_ had did it once, he had learnt the family secret.

Now it was her turn.

 **...**

"Tell me Hyuga Hinata _,_ do you know why you are here?" Elder Hikaru asked, as stood in front of her petite body, his face rigid and eyes blank.

The room was dark and musty, the walls were an odd shade of light gray and the floor was made of a different metallic substance. Not a single sound echoed off of the walls and the stone was cemented together, tightly.

 ** _So that nobody can hear me._**

There were no windows, instead bars, laying on the side of the wall. There was not a single speck of light, that entered the room from an outside source. The only sign of it, was coming from the rusty old lantern, her tou - _san,_ was holding.

 ** _So that nobody can see me._**

The air was dense and putrid, a sort of heaviness lingering in it. It suffocated her, making it hard to breath. Or was that because she was hyperventilating? The door she had came in from, was made of metal, with multiple locks and a single chain running from each side. The bars created an X and the chain crossed over it.

 ** _So that I can't escape._**

There was a podium in the front of the room. A shade of ugly brown, had washed over it and its size loomed over the young girl. Alongside of Hikaru - _sama,_ two other men stood in front of her. Hizashi - _sama_ and her Tou - _san._

" _Ī - Ie."_ She said instantly, hoping her worried face would conceal her inner thoughts. Really, it was a surprise she could speak at all, given the fact that her entire body was quivering in fear.

What was going on?

Turning her head, she looked into the eyes of both her tou - _san(s)_ and Hizashi - _sama(s)._ The elder of the two, looked down upon her sorrowfully, his eyes barely concealing the amount of guilt that poured from every inch of his body. Contrasting with his eyes, his face, which was usually full of smiles, was blank and unblinking; unnerving her very much so, as she had never seen that look on him.

Her father on the other hand was unreadable. His eyes were trained on her, but instead of meeting her own, they stared onto the top of her forehead, his mouth twisting into a grimace. Pain was a feature that was etched onto his very bones and it seemed almost as if he was in agony, as his wrinkles deepened. His own pale orbs flickered, from regret, to uncertainty, and finally resignation.

"Well," The elder started, his cold voice (one that was filled with disgust), only served to make the girl more nervous. "Today, what will be placed upon you, is something usually an five year old receives. Yet, considering the recent events, you shall be receiving it now."

Something was going to happen to her.

Something bad.

The silence continued onwards and Hinata wondered if she should've said something. Maybe a thank you, or a receiving phrase. Yet, with the look her tou - _san,_ was giving her, the young girl decided to keep her mouth shut.

The elder sneered at her, before continuing. "Tell me, little Hinata. What do you think of this?"

"Enough, Hikaru," Hizashi - _sama_ said, staring reproachfully at the man. "You are just pulling the process out."

"You're exactly right, Hizashi - _sama,_ but wouldn't be better if our little Hinata was told what was going to happen to her?"

Hinata didn't like this, not one bit. She stared at her tou - _san,_ her eyes hopeful and doe like. **_Get me out of here, please,_** she pleaded to him, softly.

Her tou - _san_ seemed to be in anger, as his body begun to shake slightly softly. His hand trembled, as he gulped in his throat. Hinata had never seen him so off hook and all it did was cause her to become more and more, unsettled. His white eyes moved from her forehead towards her own lavender orbs.

Then, she noticed them.

The tears, the ones that were unfallen.

 ** _I'm sorry._**

That was when she realized it.

Whatever was to happen, would happen, and her tou - _san,_ her amazing tou - _san,_ could do nothing to stop it.

After all, it was inevitable.

She closed her eyes before pulling back the tears that were threatening to escape her own eyes. Inhaling deeply, she opened her eyes and kneeled rigidly still. Whatever was to happen, she would face it in stride.

She had to.

After all, that was what Hyuga's did.

 _And yet she wasn't one of the-_

"Today is the day that you meet your fate!"

Fate was never kind to her.

 **...**

 _Pain. She could **feel**_ the pain.

 _It was tangible, pounding inside of the cages of her empty mind. Burning, jarring, stamping an inescapable pattern onto the very lengths of her flesh. Searing and eating away at the murky depths of her brain, stripping them of their comforting home. It caused her body to wither painfully on the floor, almost as if she were a snake. Her face was contorted as a madman and her screams echoed throughout the room, with her mind beyond escape._

 _Her skin seemed to be stripping off, leaving a scalding and yet numb sensation crawl down her body, her bones seeming to be scraped to the marrow, with a knife. The limbs of her arms and legs were uncontrollable, jutting out and squirming at all angles. They moved up and down, spasming in agony, hitting the cold stone ground in irregular thumps. Her saliva clogged in her throat, prohibiting the girl to breath in from her nose. Her lavender orbs screwed shut, and multiple, salty, tears rolled down, from her eyes._

 _Her pink lips, now cracked, opened and chocked, a multiple of sounds coming out of them. Wryly, a single thought entered her head._

 ** _So this, this was the difference, between Neji - sama and her._**

 ** _After all, he would always come first._**

 _Her screams echoed off of the wall, trapping her inside of the crevices of the tortured body, on the floor._

 _It was useless, however._

 _Nobody could hear her._

 ** _..._**

His cousin sister wasn't back, yet.

Hyuga Neji frowned, as he scanned the room once more, fighting her urge to activate his _Byakugan._ It had been over thirty minutes, since he had last saw any traces of his Tou - _chan,_ his Oji - _san,_ or his cousin sister; he even (it was only as a last case resort) checked the room for Hikaru - _sama,_ even though he really didn't like his face (Hinata was his little sister, dammit! It didn't matter that they were from different houses; no matter what the stupid elder said).

It was official, his cousin sister, was gone.

The young boy sighed, before beginning to activate his _Byakugan,_ when all of a sudden, a hand clapped onto his shoulder. Jumping, and suppressing a gasp, the young looked up before smiling softly, at his tou _\- chan_ (s) solemn face.

"Tou - _chan_! Where have you been!?"

"The elders wanted to talk with me," Hizashi said sternly. "It was about some clan troubles."

"Oh." Neji wrinkled his nose, "Uck! Are you done now?"

The clan head nodded, before giving his son a grim smile, his tone blank. "Yes, for now."

"Is Elder Hikaru - _sama_ , done talking to Hina?" Neji asked, before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, at his tou - _chan_ (s), aura. "I haven't seen her since Hiashi - _oji_ came and asked her to go with him. It surely can't have taken this long."

Hizashi paused, before he nodded, his eyes still emotionless. "Hinata - _chan_ was feeling a bit under the weather, so Hiashi took her back to her room. She wanted me to tell you that she wishes you a happy birthday."

"Can I visit her? Is she okay? It's not that serious right?" Neji asked, worriedly.

"No...she will physically fine soon enough." Hizashi said, slowly.

Her mental state, however, was a whole other story.

At this, the young heir fumed. "She probably got sick at whatever Hikaru - _sama_ , said!"

Hizashi sighed, his eyes slowly regaining feeling. "You shouldn't make accusations, Neji." _Even though it was true._

Neji pouted, before rolling his eyes, his arms hanging down. "I _know._...but come on! The elders are always givin' Hina a hard time, I don't know why though."

"It's probably because she's friends with you, Neji." Hizashi offered, before smiling at his young son. "They think she's a threat."

The young boy balked at this, before frowning. "What!? Why!?

Well, if you and Hinata - _chan_ get close enough, you might become arranged."

"Into what?" Neji asked, confused.

"A marriage," Hizashi replied, his mouth twisting up in mirth at his sons expression.

"What!? Eww...me and Hina, have to act like Kaa - _chan_ and you? Yuck! She's my _imouto_." The young boy exclaimed, the piece of information only furthering the thought that the elders sucked, in his head.

"I know, don't worry. They'll end up not doing it, considering the fact that you both are a little too close, in blood."

"But why would that be something to be afraid off?" Neji asked, slightly curious.

"Well," Hizashi started, before smiling slightly. "That's not something that you need to be aware off, just now. Are you enjoying the party?"

"Oh, yes!" Neji replied, brightening up. "I got so many gifts, and everyone is really nice."

"They have to be, I would be concerned if they weren't." Hizashi said, before sparing his son grin. "What was your favorite gift?"

"Hmm," The young boy replied, before grinning. "I know, I really liked Hinata(s) gift!"

"But you didn't see it?" Hizashi replied, confused. His niece had left, before she could've given his son a gift.

Neji hummed, before smiling. "I know! But she'll give me the best gift ever! I just know it!...Are you sure I can't visit her?"

"Yes Neji."

"I wish she didn't have to go." His son whined softly.

At this, Hizashi sighed, before closing his eyes, guilt pouring out every bone in his body. "Me too, Neji, me too."

 **...**

 ** _I am a Truth,_**

 ** _The opposite of me is a bitter lie._**

 ** _I thrive in the dark,_**

 ** _But people like the light._**

 ** _They think I am bitter,_**

 ** _But I am needed in time._**

 ** _They love_ YOU _, as you show them what they want to see,_**

 ** _And all they do, is forget about little old me._**

 ** _Until I come,_**

 ** _Creeping along._**

 ** _And lift up the glasses, and cause them to fall._**

 ** _Or rise._**

 ** _It's there pick really,_**

 ** _But every choice, causes them to slip._**

 ** _I am a Truth,_**

 ** _The opposite of me is a bitter a lie._**

 ** _And only time will reveal,_**

 ** _What I have to hide._**

 _..._

 _In which Hyuga Hinata, experiences the truth._

 _And it hurt more than she expected._

 _After all, the truth always hurt._

 _And the longer you hide it, the more it burns._

 ** _..._**

 ** _Ciao! I hope you all liked that chapter~!_**

 _ **Merry Christmas and/or a Happy Holidays to all!**_

 ** _I wish your stockings to be full!_**

 ** _\- Titania of Fairies_**


	9. CH 9 MARKED II

**Warning: Slight Angst**

 **...**

 **Sakura POV**

It hung over their household door, seeping into every crammy that you could ever imagine. Each spot was filled with the putrid feeling, leaving the young girl helpless to the affects.

The tension.

Sakura could practically _see_ it radiating off of her parents. Every time they spoke, their tones were laced with _it_ and other feelings, which brought _it_ bubbling towards the surface. Anger, frustration, annoyance and most importantly, pain. Both of their faces held wrinkles, although not from old age, but rather from the sheer exhaustion that had settled over them.

The agony was still there, hollowing out of there bodies and penetrating into the depths of her mind. Numbness, had taken hold of the few working organs that she had, and was working its way upwards. Yet, the reality of the situation had not yet sunk in, as the young cherry blossom haired girl, found herself sinking into habits that she wished she could forget.

She would catch herself, as she began to call his name, or even she walked to their front door, in order to wait, as he back from his job.

But he never did, and he never would again.

Because Sokka, her darling _aniki,_ was dead.

Killed, on a B - class mission.

Her _aniki_ had always wanted to be a _shinobi_. She remembered it, he would often come down into their kitchen when her Kaa - _chan,_ would be feeding her, and would give a multitude of reasons of why he wanted to be a _shinobi._ It never worked, until her first birthday, where he finally convinced their Kaa - _chan, (_ As Tou - _chan_ had given in, pretty quickly), to let him go to the academy.

He had been eight, years old.

So he left, a sun kissed smile placed on his face and a look of determination shining in his dark chocolate, brown eyes. His body was adorned with a simple blue button up, shirt, alongside of brown slacks. Sakura remembered that day as if it had been yesterday. She may have only been a year old, but she knew every part of that memory, from inside out.

Because that was all she had left, memories.

And so she turned three and he graduated, two years earlier than normal. Her Kaa - _chan_ , had fretted, considering the fact that now, it was time for him to go outside of the school boundaries, and learn survival skills. Her Tou - _chan,_ on the other side, was proud of his son, seeing that he himself was still a _Genin._ Often times, father and son, joked about how Sokka would surpass his Tou - _chan,_ before the age of 12.

However, he never got the chance.

It was the day, before Sakura turned four years old. She had been sitting in her room, wearing a pretty pink dress, while swinging her legs back and forth. She had been so carefree and happy, how could she not have been? Her mother told her that her _aniki_ would back, either by her birthday or on her birthday. The little girl just knew that her _aniki_ would be back on her birthday, the boy always was dramatic. It would've been no surprise to Sakura, if Sokka just burst in, when she was in the middle of cutting her cake.

However, the only thing that arrived on the young girl's birthday, was her _aniki's_ corpse.

Later, as she viewed the body, she would be shaken to her very core.

His limbs were a shred of mangled flesh, scars littered, throughout his face and a single horizontal line stretched against the top half of his face. His mouth was a mangled mess, his jawline horrible disproportionate from the top half. His body wrapped in a plain white shirt and pant, a color which highlighted the paleness of his skin. However, the part that hurt the young girl the most, were his eyes. Deep brown eyes that usually twinkled in mirth, but were now so _empty,_ and staring off into space.

Was this, really her _aniki?_

 _ **No,**_ she decided, as she sat, viewing him. _**It's not.**_

 _ **Aniki's gone.**_

F _ **o**_ r **e** v **e** r **.**

After all, a corpse holds no soul, just a body.

A dead body.

…

Her family was falling apart.

It started out slowly, but quickly went into a state of depression. Her tou - _san,_ had started to work out late, rarely coming home and when he did, it was around five in the morning (Although, when he did come home, he would kiss her on her head, thank goodness for that). Soon, however, he began to drink, bringing a number of _sake_ bottles back, into the house. It was only a few weeks when they littered the ground, and it was difficult, for the young girl to walk around, without stepping on glass.

Her Kaa - _san,_ became bossy. Often fussing about her appetite and how she shouldn't eat so much, if she wanted to ever find a husband. Sakura didn't really understand, after all, why would she have to worry about a husband, when she was four? Besides, shouldn't she have a husband that loved her for herself? Her Kaa - _san,_ just snapped at her to keep quiet.

The worst parts, was when her kaa - _san_ would accuse her tou - _san_ of cheating. That led into a frenzied, heated discussion, which mostly sounded to the young girls ears, as a fight to see who was right, for whatever the reasons (Although, they were ridiculous most of the time).

So she kept to herself, holed up in her tiny pink room, on the bed sheets of her burgundy bed. Often with a fairy tale (most of the time, she threw the books, after realizing how utterly, fake they were) or an adventure book in her hands(boring, there was the same plot, over and over again).

Sometimes, when she lay still at night, her mind and body would weep together, not only for her _aniki,_ but also, for what her family had become. She would blame herself and the _shinobi,_ for taking her _aniki_ away, before properly scolding her thoughts.

It wasn't their fault, that he died.

It was his fate.

And so, Sakura decided, that she hated fate.

…

" _ **Fate leads the person, who follows it and drags the person, who resists."**_

 _ **Anonymous**_

 _ **...**_

She woke with a headache.

A low dull, quick sound ringing within her mind, causing her to wince in pain. Her limbs were cramped, in either stiffness or soreness, either one of zero use to her now. She couldn't speak, her throat clogged up with feelings of disgust and revulsion. The sun shone in her eyes, causing her press her palm against them.

Her headache increased, and the thumping because louder, seeming to be pounding in her ribcage, as well as her brain.

What had happened?

Realization came to her as the feeling of the hot blood underneath hers skin and the thumping of her heart came into memory. Tears pricked at the back of her mind as a certain stiffness descended on her backbone. Her muscles were tense and her legs were numb. The shock of it, felt like a freight train.

Her chest constricted, and her mind flew to a halt, before she heaved forwards towards the side of her bed and hurled, emptying the entire contents of her stomach, onto the polished ground. Wiping her mouth, Hinata closed her eyes and her head hit the front of her pillow.

Tentatively, the young girl picked up her trembling hand and raised it to the surface of her forehead. As her fingers brushed alongside of the now blemished surface of the mark, tears welled in her eyes; a low steady pulse settling into a pattern.

She had changed. Transformed.

She would never be the same again.

Her thoughts, her hopes; they were all controlled.

She would never be free.

Her mind went into overload, as another wave of pulsating heat entered her brain. She cried out, a few tears leaking out of her eyes, as the pain spread to every portion of her body, sending electrical waves up and down her backbone.

As the blackness filled her vision, her mouth shook with sorrowful laughter.

She would rather be blind, than caged.

 **...**

She woke up to a gentle hand stroking her hair.

Her mind buzzed, as the light rays of a nearby sun gazed upon her.

As the young girl slowly woke up, she became aware of the steady pounding pattern that had placed itself, onto her head. The pain itself, did her no good, as she wished to fall back into the deep slumber that she had captivated herself in. Instead, all it did was insist on her to wake up, and face the light.

However, she wasn't ready for any of it.

It still held her captive in its' clutches, scheming, _laughing_ at her gentleness.

Indeed, the truth is always painful, especially to the innocent.

Stirring from her slumber, Hinata opened her eyes, wincing at the sudden attack of her vision. Slowly, she took in her surroundings, each one hazy and filtered, before turning to stare at the woman next to her.

Long indigo hair came into her vision first, altering her to who the person was; As, the only person in the clan that had indigo hair, was her own Kaa - _san._ This was followed by pink lips and sharp cheekbones. Next, a pair of silver orbs appeared, a look of kindness and concern, held in them.

Blinking her eyes, the young girl looked away, unable to stand the kindness projected in her Kaa - _sans_ eyes.

"Hinata...how are you feeling?"

Hinata closed her own orbs, exhaling before opening them and keeping silent.

How was she feeling?

Surely, she should've felt something. After all, it was all gone now, everything she cared about-

Everything, she dreamed off, it was all gone.

But she felt nothing, nothing except the cold, hollow, numbness that had settled onto her skin like a layer of clothes. A numbness that had seeped into the marrow of her bones and dug into the empty cave that her heart was resting in. It seemed that even her heart had been affected by it, as it beat slowly and sluggish, almost like it was freezing itself. Her brain was blank, not a single though filtered through it, as if it was **paralysed** in hatred.

Hatred for itself.

Her Kaa - _san_ reached out her pale hand, before hesitating and refracting it. She breathed in deeply, before shifting into a stand, her blue kimono moving with her. "I shall bring you some water, you must be thirsty." She turned to leave, but in a moments reflex, Hinata caught her hand.

Himana turned, in shock, her pale silver eyes meeting the blue bangs that covered her daughters face.

"You wish to see it, don't you?" Her tone was quiet, and yet sharp, at the same time.

"Hinata..."

"You may see it. You m - may see the dreaded mark."

Himana sucked in a breath, her face growing even more pale, at the aspect. The young girl thought she would flee, in fright, however, her Kaa - _san,_ bit her bottom lip, before reaching out with her trembling hand. Slowly, the pale figure descended onto the side of her face, cradling it tenderly. Her thumb shaking, Himana stretched her thumb, before pulling back the blue bangs, cautiously.

Silence, filled the room.

It seemed to stretch on for hours, when in reality, it was only a few minutes. The heavy feeling filtering into ever section of the caged room, almost stripping Hinata of her sanity.

Then, a gasp.

A strangled gasp, came out of her kaa - _sans_ mouth, one which was laced with anger and yet, regret. The pale hand, that was once clutching her face, snapped back to Himana, laying on the top her chest, her other hand, lying on her plump, swollen, stomach. Her lips, that were usually pink, were now pale and pressed into a stern line, unyielding and harsh. Indigo hair cascaded all around her face, seemliness making the paleness more eerie than it was. Her mouth was open, heavy gasps emitting out of them, each one deeper than the next. However, it was her eyes, that caused Hinata to become unsettled.

Her silver orbs were wide and glossed over, tears forming around her tear ducts and lower line. They stared at her, unblinking and sorrowful, and deep wisdom was applied in them.

"I-" Her Kaa - _san_ began only to stop, and choke.

 _I am sorry._ Those were the words, that were supposed to come out, but didn't.

Why?

Because, what was done, was done, and a simple vocal _sorry?_ How could that fix things.

An action, was better than a voice.

Slowly, Hinata(s) eyes softened, blinking softly, she reached out and placed her hand on top of her Kaa - _sans._

"Kaa - _san..._ y - you should rest, your b - body is still weak."

"Hinata, I,"

"I'll go call T - Tou - _san,_ " The young girl started, to say, but was cut off, by the fact that her Kaa - _san,_ began to lose balance.

Her body heaved slightly to the left and her eyes rolled backwards, slowly, she slumped to her feet, both her hands clutching her stomach. Her lips opened out in cry and Hinata found herself scurrying to her side.

"Kaa - _san_! KAA - _SAN!"_

 _..._

 _"Her organs faltered, the doctors have her on constant watch."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Hiashi.."  
_

 _"Please answer me, Hizashi - sama."_

 _"...The doctors said that the cause of it, was too much stress."_

 _Silence and then-_

 _"I should've known, it wasn't the right time for her to see Hinata."_

 _"Hiashi, I-"_

 _"It is okay. You had no choice, the council, demanded it."_

 _"No, it is my fault. I should've argued harder, she's only three."_

 _"It doesn't matter, what is done, is done."_

 _"Hiashi-"_

 _"_ _How is the baby?"_

 _"You- they say that she is stable, however, they're still cautious. At any second, she could react."_

 _"I see."_

 _3...2...1_

 _"Have you told Hinata about the babies gender, yet?"_

 _"No, Himana wanted it to be a surprise."_

 _"I see."_

 _Such a light topic, for a sombre discussion._

 ** _..._**

A young girl layed at the door, her head resting against the wooden frame and her dark blue tresses, lying around her face. Slowly, her chest rose and fell, as her eyes shut tightly. The brown dress hung on her body loosely, one part of it coming off of her shoulder. Her breath exhaled, heavily, causing her fists to clench, on the ground.

Her lavender orbs opened, as she lowered them, onto the whites of her knuckles. Agony coursed through her veins, as the increase of pressure in her brain pounded into her skull; leaving her with no peace. Her heart was hollow, only the most distant of emotions running through it. The hot blood, which ran underneath her pale skin, was chilled, almost as if, she had stayed in the snow, for too long. Her normally rhubarb lips, were bordering on a shade of light blue and her thick black lashes were quivering in exhaustion.

She was so tired.

Of everything.

It was all hitting her like a shot to the ribs, her breath heaving out of her system. Her kaa - _sans_ hospitable state, that fact that her tou - _san_ was avoiding her, and most of all-

The misfortune that had been placed upon her.

She was just so tired.

A thin drop of water slipped from the inner pocket of her eyes, her lips pressing together, in pain.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she closed her eyes; the shadows casting around her room and the blinds whirling around, steadily. Her breathing regulated, and her arms slipped, as her head fell from the door, towards the ground; crashing down, hard.

There she lay, her tears falling to her ground and her arms trembling in an enervated sensation. Her throat clogged slightly, as she let out a silent scream of anger and pain.

It wouldn't have mattered, even if it was said out loud. After all, no one would hear her and no one, would care.

Why would they?

She was just a Branch member.

 **...**

 _ **Fire**_

 _ **Burning blazing**_

 _ **Growing fueling hate**_

 _ **Clear cruel true pain**_

 _ **Cold smooth visible**_

 _ **Hard filled**_

 _ **Ice**_

 **...**

 **...**

 **Unknown POV**

Her mind was in a daze and her senses were dulled, causing her eyes to spin.

She didn't like it, not at all.

Dulled senses, meant that body and mind were liable to be attacked. They put her into a vulnerable state, stripping her of the comfort, that was her conscious.

She wasn't supposed to be like this. She should've been past this stage already, dammit!

When Kurenai invited her to go out for a couple of drinks, this was not what she had expected to happen; after all, Kure - _chan,_ always made sure that she didn't drink too much, stating that it was bad for her health.

She pursed her lips.

The pain- she didn't understand it, considering the fact that she had gotten over what had happened, years ago. Really, she had.

So why, why did eyes grow cold and her heart twinge when she heard _his_ name. _He_ was nothing to her, nothing but a target, which she wanted to hit, repeatedly, with a _kunai._

He had been the first person to accept her.

Growing up, had been hard for her. _(But really, what shinobi didn't have it hard..)_

Living in a tiny orphanage, were there where too many mouths to feed and not enough hands, taught her to be tough and unyielding; causing the amount of friends she made to be equivalent to zero.

The shadow of loneliness had followed her around in her childhood, reaching up into her preteen years, considering the fact that she was always too ruthless in spars.

Then he came along, with his sly little smile.

The one that she - _now_ \- hated.

He had taken her in and taught her, not only familial bonds, but also, how to survive. The woman remember how after her first kill, he let her cry in front of him, although, he had seemed a bit uncomfortable.

She remembered how whenever either of her teammates _(her boys, her beloved boys-)_ had made a mistake, he would _(exasperatedly)_ teach them the right way to do it.

However, it had soon fallen to shit.

What had changed? Why did _he_ change?

Was it something they had done? No, it wasn't, it would never be her fault, that he changed.

However, it was her fault for not realizing it sooner.

How could she have not seen it? There were clues, so many clues, that led up to the darkness which had grown inside of him, and yet, she remained blissfully unaware.

It was her fault, all her fault.

She hated herself.

She hated herself, for not realizing the truth and she hated herself, for actually caring about him, but most of all, she hated herself, for surviving.

Because with her survival, came the downfall of her boys.

Her precious teammates.

Shaking her head, the girl suppressed a wry chuckle and closed her eyes.

Memories...she hated them.

Because they were all she had left.

 **...**

 _"Seeing people change, isn't what hurts. What hurts, is remembering, who they used to be."_

 _- **Naruto**_

 **...**

 _ **Hey y'all! HAPPY NEW YEARS to you guys, I hope all of ya' are havin' a wonderful time!**_

 _ **I hope that you like this chapter, considering the fact that I worked my ass off, to get it done and published in time! This coming year, i'll be a bit busy, so expect a chapter every two weeks or so. (I will try and make them longer, don't worry).**  
 **Thank to the anonymous person (Guest) that stated that my story was good! I blushed slightly when I read your comment, you're too sweet!.**_

 _ **Adios! And good luck to the new year.**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_


	10. CH 10 Mr Red Eyes - san & Getting Up

_**Hey y'all, heads up for the update!**_

 _ **Thank you so much to people that liked and/or favorited my story! It makes the selfish part of me, feel so good!**_

 _ **Special shout out to** **MysteriousKitts, for your review. It was so sweet and heartwarming, and I found myself wanting to hug my computer, in happiness. Thank you so, so, much for lighting up my day!**_

 _ **That's all for now, ciao amigos!**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_

 **...**

 **...**

He felt calm, and yet, dizzy at the same time, his mind unable to comprehend what had just happened.

He heard voices, his brain filtering them away for later.

 _"W - What's going on!? Itachi - nii, Shisui - nii!?"_

 ** _Sasuke - teme._** That was his voice, why did he sound so panicked?

 _"Shisui go get someone, now."_

 ** _Itachi - nii - san?_** Why did his sound so cold...so very worried?

 _"On it."_ That was Shisui - _nii_ , seriously what was going on?

 _"Sasuke, I need you to do something for me...alright?"_

The voices faded away, after that.

Then, their was darkness.

...

He felt like he was lying on top of a cloud, however, when he tried to check that fact, he found he couldn't, considering the fact that his blue orbs refused to open.

His body felt light and weightless, almost as if it was soaring above the skies.

Wait, what was even above the sky?

Sasuke - _teme,_ said that their was heaven, but Naruto didn't think so. After all, why would you need an extra heaven, when all you had to do was go to Ichiraku's?

Then, he was falling.

Anxiety gripped his heart and fear filtered into his mind. What was going on? The last thing he remembered was playing catch the _kunai,_ with Sasuke - _teme._

His hands reached out, searching for anything to hold onto, but his efforts were in vain, as the falling sensation increased and instead all in did was amplify that.

Before he knew it, his body - _or was it his body? -_ had collided with something hard and cold. His nose struggled to take air in, as the young boy began to feel the pressure come back to him. Naruto's mind froze, and his heart began to thump faster.

Then his eyes opened.

Water. It seemed almost as if he was surrounded by a green lake of water. Naruto blinked a few times, in order to see if he wasn't hallucinating and was really seeing the sight which was in front of him. When he was reassured that it was true, he slowly made his way up into a crouch, before standing up on his two shaky knees.

Slowly, a grin spread across his face, as the thought of how cool it was to stand on water entered his brain.

He would've begun to do something stupid, if it weren't for that fact that he settled his sights on something else.

A long golden cage stretched as far as his vision could go, each bar thicker and brighter than the last. Two black strips decorated the side of the cage, golden swirls running up and down, in the middle of the strips.

Naruto cocked his head, slightly confused. The whiskered boy stepped forwards and reached his arms out, ready to touch the cage, when he froze in shock.

Two red eyes appeared in front of his view, glaring reproachfully, from inside of the cage.

 **"Hmp. So you are my idiotic jailer."**

If Naruto had been anyone else, then he probably would've been shit scared by now. However he wasn't; he was just a young, blonde, boy (Not to mention, he _was_ a prankster).

So to him, his next statement was perfectly reasonable (and _no,_ he was not frightened, thank you very much).

"Heyyy! Who're you- Don't call me idiotic! Uzumaki Uchiha Naruto, is not idiotic!"

 **"Uchiha!? How ironic. As for who I am, are you really that dumb _human_?" **

"You! I ain't dumb! Besides why does it matter that i'm an Uchiha? Is it 'cause i'm so awesome?" The boy whispered that last part to himself.

 **"Heh. How ridiculous, blondie and sadist really overdid themselves with _you_ , boy."**

"Wait what? Blondie? Sadist? The hell you mean, Mr. Red Eyes - _san_?"

 **"...DON'T. CALL. ME. MR. RED EYES - _SAN_..."**

"Humph!" Naruto puffed. "What else can I call ya!?

 **"You...you truly don't know who I am, you foolish _human._ " **The word human, dripped from it's mouth, in hatred.

At this, it was almost as if a light had shined into the cage. Naruto could only gape as he witnessed the sight in front of him.

A fox.

It was a sight too incredible for words, how could one even begin to describe it? The animal, stood regally his upper body crouched on his hind legs, his body spanning out to the width of the caged room. His ruby eyes glowed in anger and yet amusement, with his orange fur gleaming into the dim light which the boy could see in. Black strips ran in the inside of his ear and the fox, slowly shifted into sitting. However, the most shocking part about him, was the number of tails that sprouted from his bottom back.

There were nine of them.

Naruto could just stare in shock and fear; his breath catching in his throat, as understanding dawned in his eyes.

 **"Let me educate you then, idiot human. I AM THE KYUBI no KITSUNE; the image in your nightmares."**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

"Again Neji!" Hizashi said, as his activated eyes, glared at his son.

" _Hai_!" The young brown haired boy said, before rapidly thrusting his fists out and hitting the wooden block once more, his brow stained with sweat and his eyes fierce and determined. Leaning back slightly, he started once more, repeating the moves that his tou - _chan_ had taught him, a few day prior; keeping his hands up and rigid, slowly, he relaxed his muscles, before shifting both his hands and striking the block repeatedly, in the same two places. Finally ending the form, he turned to his tou - _chan,_ a large smile, placed on his face.

"How was that!?"

Deactivating his _Byakugan,_ Hizashi smiled at his son, before laughing softly. "I will admit, I didn't think that you'd be able to memorize the form within a week. Well, done, Neji; you've proved me wrong."

Neji beamed at his tou - _chan_ , his gunmetal eyes lighting up in joy. This was exactly, what he'd been going for when he'd made that bet, his pride inwardly soaring in joy and his heart beating in exhaustion.

Now all he had to go and tell _imouto_ -

Oh, that was right. _Imouto_ was the reason, he had so much time then; or rather, the _lack_ of her, was what had given him so much time.

A week. It had been a week since he had last seen her.

"Well, I supposed you've won our bet. Alright, have at it, what prize do you want?"

The answer to this question was fairly easy, in fact, one of the only reasons that Neji had made the bet in the first place, was because of the prize he wanted. So he straightened his back, before looking directly, into his tou - _chans_ eyes.

"I want to see- _and_ talk to Hinata - _imouto;_ face to face."

You see, the way you phrased your words, were very important in the Hyuga clan. One misstep, and they could be takin' advantage off or have mislead the other person. Alongside of emotion training, this was another thing that children were taught.

The art, of talking.

Hizashi's eyes narrowed. _When did his son get so good at that?_

"Neji.." He started, but was cut off by the same boy's worried expression.

"You can't take it back! You promised, besides, it's been a week! A whole week! Surely _imouto,_ would be better by now; you know, considering the fact that she's not _that_ sick." At this, the boy pursed his lips; his unsaid words lingering between them. _Unless you have lied to me._

Finally, _finally,_ his tou - _chan,_ sighed, before turning his head. "I...shall ask Hiashi, if Hinata is prepared for any...guests to go to her."

"Prepared? What does that mean?"

Hizashi sighed, his white eyes unreadable, as he continued talking. "With Himana going to the hospital, it has caused a slight bit of strain on Hina - _chan._ She isn't really feeling very well."

"...oh...That just means that I really should meet her!" Neji replied, perking up slightly.

"What, why?" Hizashi asked, his eyes growing confused.

"So that means I can help her! After all, i'm the only person that understands _imouto._ "

At this, the elder mans eyes grew somber, and his arms clenched into fists.

 ** _If you meet her like this, Neji, I fear that you would only hurt her, not help her._**

 ** _..._**

She was sleepy, however, her body was awake and humming; causing the two to battle in out in her brain. One side, violently argued to sleep, saying that it would rejuvenate the body and fix her mind. The other was cold and quiet, but hit straight to the point and to be honest, it was right.

There was no way, for her mind to be fixed.

So Hinata sat there, tucked into her bed, her lavender orbs staring out of the window and into the rather large trees that decorated the Hyuga Clan(s) outside. Her arms twitched in her lap as the pounding in her head grew louder. Really, it was getting repetitive.

Her Kaa - _san,_ had been admitted to the hospital a week ago, she realized, closing her eyes slightly. _She had been here for an entire week?_

How...unproductive.

Then she sensed it, _his chakra_ aura.

The last person she wanted to see.

Her tou - _san._

It wasn't his fault, really it wasn't, she didn't blame him for what happened to her. She really didn't. It was just...just scary, she supposed; scary for the person she looked up to, a person she loved, to see her like this.

It was especially scary, for her, to see him, watch the person she would become.

He was at the door. Hinata knew this, and yet, he wouldn't enter. If he was waiting for a verbal response then he wouldn't get one; not now, not when she was still weak. Both mentally and physically, but then again, when was she not weak?

Her entire life, she had been weak.

She hated it.

The door opened.

Light spilled into her room, filling the ends were the shadows grew and entering into her sore and unused eyes.

Her tou - _san,_ had arrived.

"Hinata." He stared at her, his slate colored eyes meeting her own lavender ones.

She merely looked away. "How i - is Kaa - _san?"_ That stutter, it was still not gone.

"Fine. Himana is...fine."

"Do not l - lie to me." Her voice was breathless and sharp. Wincing slightly, from her defending tone, Hinata quickly spoke again. "Please t - tou - _san._ "

Hiashi stared at her, before sighing and averting her eyes to the ceiling, slightly cursing the heavens. "Himana really is fine. While her internal are slightly damaged, because of the fall, everything else is fine. The only thing is that the doctors have yet to wake her up from the shock that she has...put herself in."

Hinata didn't reply, as the slight guilt that stung through her body, caused her fist to clench and her eyes to close; her lips pursed together, as her eyes scrunched shut.

The silence stretched once more, enveloping the room in sadness.

She opened her eyes, and ignoring the water that had formed in them, and spoke once more. "Why did you come here, t - tou - _san?_ "

"Is it wrong for a father to see his daughter?"

"..No, it's not." Hinata said after a moments pause of hesitation. "However, I know you t - tou - _san,_ you must have something t - to say to m - me."

A pause, and then- "Neji - _sama,_ wishes to speak with you. He states that he misses you."

Hinata's breath hitched and her eyes once again watered. "I-"

"'-don't want to see him'. I know that you don't Hinata, however, Neji - _sama,_ has won a bet and the prize is that he wants to see _you_."

A prize?

What that all she was?

Her shoulders began to shake and her breaths came out faster as she realized that she couldn't escape from this. Her eyes widened as she started spasming, slightly. She didn't want to see him. Not only because of the truth (and how troublesome that was), but also because of the fact that he was kind.

Neji - _sama,_ really was kind, and no one (other than her parents) knew her better than him. The second he saw her, then he would automatically know that something was wrong and he couldn't know. He just couldn't, because if he did-

What if he started treating her like she was supposed to be treated?

A hand clapped down on her shoulder, causing her to jump and look up.

Big mistake.

Her watering lavender orbs, met her tou - _sans,_ worried slate ones.

"You can cry, you know, Hinata."

The sentence was phrased oddly, his voice was hesitant and slightly flinching; and his face was transformed into an awkward shape.

She lunged forwards, and found it slightly funny to hear his squeak (he didn't squeak!) of anxiety. She then, wrapped her arms around stomach, and buried her face into the nooks of his yukata. Slowly, he lowered his hand to her head, patting her, as if he was unsure of what to do. It should've made her more sad, however, all it did was cause her to smile softly, because it was so much like her tou - _san,_ that it hurt.

So she cried, softly, carefully; her face muffled by her tou - _sans_ gray wardrobe and her eyes screwed shut. Her heart thudded fiercely in her chest, as her tiny fingers fisted his loose shirt in her hands. Her entire body racked, as the sobs which she had been holding back for so long came out; completely entering the light.

Finally, finally she pulled away, to stare up at him, her head tilted slightly. He gently, removed himself, from her clutches, before patting her on the head once more. "I shall go ask Hizashi - _sama,_ to give you more time. I'm sure Neji - _sama,_ will understand."

"N - No." She said, after giving her tou - _san_ a brief smile, "I - I will be f - fine."

"Are you sure?" He asked, after a moments pause, "I can always state that you are still unwell."

"No." She said once more, this time more firmer. "I wish to see h - him."

Slowly, he nodded, before placing a hand above her head. "Rest for now, you shall meet him in the evening."

With that, her tou - _san_ was out of the room, shutting the door with the grace of only a true Hyuga. She watched as the light, which had once entered, had now exited, it, letting the shadows once more appear.

For some reason, they weren't as heavy.

Hinata sighed, before shifting her weight and wiping her eyes. Straightened her back, she touched her forehead, before flinching and gritting her teeth. Never again, would she be helpless, that, she would vow to herself.

Branch member or not.

 **...**

 **"When life changes to be harder, change _yourself_ to be stronger." **

**\- Unknown**

 **...**

 **...**

Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing.

His brain was shut down and all he could do was gape at the sight in front of him.

 **"Shut your mouth, dunce."**

Almost on reflex, the blonde Uzumaki shut his mouth, his blue eyes not even blinking, in shock. Chocking back saliva, the young boy staggered back a few feet before responding, shocked. "You're, you're the _Kyubi!"_

The _Bijuu_ snorted, causing a long stream of air, to blow into the blonde Uchiha's face. **"Yes, I believe that is what I just said."** He responded, his voice deep and rumbly, before staring at the young boys face one more. **"It seems that you get your genes more from the redhead sadist, then the blondie."**

Those words seemed to pass over Naruto as he blinked once, before rapidly speaking. "B - But that's impossible! The fourth defeated you!"

 **"Ha! As if that idiot Yondie, could've defeated me."**

"B - B - But that's what Kaa - _san,_ says!"

 **"Of course she would, after all, no one would want to know that i'm still alive."**

At this Naruto was at lose of words, his brain whirring with questions, but his mouth glued shut. He swallowed, before asking, "T - Then, what are you doing here?"

The _Kyubi_ was silent for a moment, before smirking. **"Do you even know where here, is fool?"**

Huh? What did he mean? "Um...isn't this your house - y thingy, mablober?"

The tailed beast looked at him for a few moments, before shaking his head, his red eyes, seemingly scrunching up in disgust and his nine tails begun swishing at an even faster rate than before. **"I had not thought that one could be more idiotic then that sadist.** _ **Unfortunately,**_ **I have been proved wrong."**

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!? Besides, you didn't answer either of my questions! Who's the redhead sadist and where am I right now! It's common courte- coute- knowledge! It's common knowledge, that when somebody asks ya' a question, you answer!"

 **"...You...fine, I give up, you annoying human. The stupid answer to your first question is that right now, both of us are in your conscious. The answer to your second question is that you really are a cretin, for not knowing who that is."**

"What's a cretin?"

The _Kyubi_ looked at him weirdly for a few seconds, steam puffing out of his nose, as his nails curled back into his paws. **"That..."** He started, his eyes narrowing even further and his voice groaning lower, than before. **"..that's all you got, out of this conversation..?"**

"WELLL.." Naruto paused before grinning widely, "You called me a cretin...I don't really remember what you said before that..."

 **"Wait a few minutes, it'll come back to you!"** The fox said, sarcastically, not expecting the young boy to smile and thank him, before pausing.

"Wait, what does conscious mean?"

 **"Your brain, brat. We're in your brain."**

"My...brain?"

 **"Yes."**

The young Uzumaki blinked once, twice, before erupting, his brain going on haywire. "WHAT! H - HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?"

The fox grunted, his crimson red eyes, twitching in annoyance and his snout lowering slightly. **"Shut up. You're too loud."** Slowly, with his orangeish fur gleaming brightly in the dim light, and his dark ( _terrifying)_ eyes shutting slightly; he moved from his crouched position, into a curl, placing his head, onto his front legs. As he lazily closed his eyes, the fox let out a large puff of air, from his mouth, blowing directly, into Naruto's face.

The young Uchiha snapped his mouth close, before dropping back down onto the rippling surface of the pond. His blue orbs were hazy and uncertain, while his head cocked slightly towards the side. "How is that possible?"

 **"Hmm...what is?"**

"T - That we're ( _your)_ in my brain. I - I'm not going insane, am I?"

 **"Does it matter? Sooner or later, all of you humans go insane."**

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms, over his chest; his blonde eyebrows rising in confusion. "I don't get it."

The beast opened one of his eyes, before peering at the boy and leering slightly. **"Ah, that's right, they still refuse to tell you the consequences."**

"Consequences?" The young boy asked, pursing his lips together.

At this, the _Kyubi_ opened both of its eyes and proceeded to stare at the Blonde Uchiha for a few moments. As each second passed by, Naruto grew more and more uneasy and he finally broke through the silence, by snapping, harshly, "What!? Why are you looking at me like that!? B - besides, you didn't answer me."

He averted his gaze before replying, his voice seemingly calmer than before. **"Tell me, brat. You want to be a _shinobi,_ why?" **

The Uzumaki paused, before hastily replying, "How do you know about that?"

The look, the fox gave him, was not impressed. **"I live in your brain, dunce. I can hear everything you think of."**

"So you are an eavesdropper?"

The orange furred creature twitched, before growling softly. **"Spit it out, idiot. Why do you want to be a _shinobi_? Do it quickly, you're getting on my nerves." **

The boy was quiet before he shrugged, a goofy grin forming on his face, "So I can protect my precious people!"

What Naruto didn't expect however, was for the fox to outright snort in his face. **"What a naive answer."**

"N - Naive?" He asked, slightly angered, but mostly confused. "Why is wanting to protect my precious people, naive?"

 **"Do you even know what a _shinobi_ does?" **

"Well, they go on some sort of missions. D class to S class ones right!?"

 **"Are you asking me, human, or are you informing me?"  
**

At this Naruto paused, before hesitating. **"Don't do that. It's not good for your health."**

"W - What?"

The _Bijuu_ snorted once more, before replying. **"Doubting yourself. Even from the constraints of your mind, I can see you do that. You're much more mature when your alone, than when you're with those Uchiha's of yours. It's only because you doubt yourself, so much. Idiot human, I can never understand your species. "**

At this, the young boy fell silent once more. His shoulders slumped and his eyes lowered, in defeat. "Why did you ask me that question?"

The beast sighed roughly. **"To merely see what you knew."**

"Is what I said, wrong?"

 **"...No. While it is extremely naive, it is a decent goal. However, you will never be able to receive a 100% coverage on it."**

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, crossing his legs.

 **"Think about it this way. You won't always be placed on a mission with...a** _ **precious**_ **person of yours. Therefore, you won't get the chance to protect them, sometimes. Not to mention, there will always be someone stronger than you."**

"Oh. I - I didn't think of it like that." Naruto spoke, his blue eyes widened, in realization.

 **"Che, that's because you didn't think of it at all. You merely stayed put, it your dreamland."**

At this, Naruto flushed, his face lighting up with anger. His hands clenched at his side, as his eyes narrowed, and the usually smiling face, was now pulled into a pout. "Hey! I-"

 **"Not to mention, do you realize what comes alongside of being a _shinobi?"_** The fox cut off, enjoying the boys yowl of annoyance.

The second to youngest Uchiha paused before shutting his already open mouth, keeping himself quiet. Shaking his head, he leaned forwards, questioning the _Bijuu._ "What?"

The _Kyubi_ opened his eyes and Naruto found and unsuspecting emotion hidden in them. Worry.

 **"Death. Death follows a _shinobi_ wherever he or she goes." **

Silence followed after the _Kyubi's_ statement as the young boy layed their stunned and blank. Could this, could this really be true? The _bijuu,_ kept staring at the boy, before sighing softly, this time. **"Go. Take in, what i've said; and don't forget it. You'll need it, brat."**

Before the blonde Uchiha could answer, he felt the similar feeling that he had felt prior to the conversation. A hazy and yet, dizzy feeling, at the same time. However, this time, he knew what was happening.

He was waking up.

His vision became more and dilated, and his hands went into a paralyzed state.

Before his mouth froze as well, he smiled and laughed and spoke, gaily.

"Thanks Red Eyes - _san,_ i'll come visit again!"

The enraged howls of the _Kyubi,_ were the last thing the laughing boy heard, as he blacked out, once more.

 **...**

 _ **"Friendship is the most precious, when you find it, where you least expect it to be."**_

 _ **\- Sapthika Jacob**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 **Hello my fellow readers! I hope you all enjoyed that chapter ~ ! Don't worry, the next one will be out soon enough (probably).** **I'm really sorry about this one, considering the fact that was a bit too rushed and I am not pleased about it, at all. Who knows, maybe i'll tweak a bit, here and there, but for now, here is what y'all get. Hopefully, it passes your expectations ( _crosses fingers and prays to kami_ )!**

 _ **Ja ne,**_ **for now!**

 **\- Titania of Fairies.**


	11. CH 11 The First Frost

**!Hola, mi amigos! So sorry, I haven't updated, however, due to my upcoming spanish midterm - test, i've pretty much been studying this last two weeks. But, finally, it's done, so here you go ~ your next chapter!**

 **To,** **MysteriousKitts, thank you so much! Your comment, really reassured me, as I was afraid that I might have made Kurama a bit too OCC. You see, originally, I hadn't wanted them to meet until Naruto was a bit older, however, I decided to make it happen now, in hopes to lead it to what will be coming.**

 **Hope you enjoy what is to come~**

 **\- TitaniaErzaScarlet**

 **...**

 **...**

She walked through the corridors, her tiny feet clicking against the cold ground of the compound. Her hands were placed at her side, fisted, into tiny balls of tension. Her tiny back was straightened and her eyes shined with awareness and yet, hope. Confidently, she strode through the corridors, bowing only to those above her in rank, the anger in her eyes hidden. Yet, even though she bowed, she refused to submit, leaving her in an odd state of self satisfaction (Although, she would admit that it was slightly petty). Most of her fellow _(and yet different, so, so, different)_ clan members noticed her, however, it wasn't in anger or shock even, but rather in curiosity.

After all, for the first time, her head was held up.

...

Hinata could feel their gazes, on her back. The pressure was pushing down onto her shoulders, trying to make her as tiny and silent as before. The voice in her head wouldn't go away, they were all saying the same thing. She could practically see their little words, twittering away in her mind, causing her to want to lower her head and turn back, in fear. However, she knew that if she did that, then she would still remain the same little girl she was.

And she _didn't_ want to stay like that.

So, ignoring her tense and unsettled shoulders, the young girl plowed on, her feet planted firmly onto the ground and her face lit with determination.

And fear, don't forget the fear.

 **...**

 _"He's waking up."_

Naruto's skin buzzed and his head felt like it had been slammed into a wall, repeatedly.

 _Where was he?_

His eyes flew open and immediately, his head swung upwards, colliding with the person staring down at him. _Thunk!_

Skidding back in a halt, Naruto groaned, before reproachfully glaring at the person who he had collided with, only to find out, that it was Sasuke.

"Hey!" The blonde exclaimed, frowning. "What was that for?"

He was in a hospital, he realized, as he started at the white, glaring walls. Why he was their, even _kami_ wouldn't know; as he/she would probably be laughing at his predicate. Turning, his face to stare at his brother, the young boy sighed. The blonde haired Uchiha had expected that his brother would be equally upset; therefore resulting in another fight. However, he was shocked, when the younger boy just lunged forwards the pulled him into a hug.

"Wha- Hey, what are you doing?" The elder boy asked, frozen in shock.

Pulling back from Naruto, Sasuke puffed his cheeks, before starting to yell, rather loudly. "What do you mean, what are you doing!? What else do you expect me to do, after you've been in a coma!"

Shock hit the young boy, causing the air to escape from his lungs. "W - What did you say?"

Scowling, as a tint of pink entered his cheeks, Sasuke, once more spoke. "I _said_ that you've been in a coma!"

"H - How long?"

"Hmm," The black haired Uchiha paused for a moment, "I think about, two weeks?"

"T - Two weeks!" Naruto started to hyperventilate, his mind blanked and his heart stopped in his chest. He had missed a whole two weeks, just by talking with Mr. Red Eyes?

He heard Sasuke shout once more, before he was out, like a light.

 **...**

 **...**

She knocked on the door, once twice, before waiting patiently.

Tou - san had said that Neji - sama, would be waiting for her in his room. Slightly, self conscious, the young Hyuga, tugged on her blue sleeves, before exhaling a shaky breath. Holding back, from pushing her two index fingers together, the young girl merely knocked on the door, before settling back on the balls of her feet. Rocking back in forth, the young girl, bit her lip and straightened her spine, just in time for the door, to slam open.

"Hinata!" Neji yelped, before lunging towards her, giving the young girl only the time to stiffen slightly.

Hesitantly, she returned the hug, giving no indication of her previous tenseness. Squeezing his frame lightly, she retracted her arms, just in time to see his wide smile.

" _Imouto!_ You finally came, are you better?"

Hinata was too caught up in her own feelings to reply. Neji - _sama's_ voice was resonating in her head, causing it to pound painfully, in Deju vu and slight...confusion. _Was he always, this...happy?_ Shaking her head slightly, the young sighed, as she studied his features. His gunmetal eyes were lit up, as he stared at her slightly smaller form, and his mouth was pulled up into a cheerful smile. He really was expressive, she realized. Much more than she had once thought he had been, but that was shocking wasn't it. Did no one find it odd? After all, he was the heir of the Hyuga Cla-

No. She wouldn't go down that road.

Taking in his cousins quiet state, the young boy tilted his head, before shaking her shoulders rapidly, causing the trance she had put herself in, to be removed.

"Hinata! Are you okay!" Neji asked, after the younger girl got him to stop shaking her.

Blinking once, Hinata refused to meet his eyes and instead, placed her sight upon his forehead _(It only just hit her then, of how, **different** they were and of how, _**changed** _she -they- were now)._ Inhaling deeply, the young girl, settled on a small smile, before bowing - much lower than needed - and responding, her voice calm.

" _Ohayo,_ N - Neji - _sama._ I am fine, thank you for asking. How have you b - been?"

 **...**

The first thing Neji noticed, were the wraps on her forehead.

They were gray and clean, yet, as he hugged her, noting that she stiffened _(what for, it wasn't as if they hadn't hugged before?)_ He wondered, why she had worn them.

As they _separated(He did so, quite redundantly),_ the young boy found himself blinking in confusion, as instead of looking at his own eyes, she peered up at his forehead, a question placed in her orbs.

He wondered, if he had the answer.

 **...**

The second thing he noticed, was her lack of attention.

He had been rambling for five minutes - _neither of them, had moved -_ and yet, not once did she voice her thoughts, or even speak to him. She hadn't even blinked, her eyes motionless and shaded, cutting of her exposure of her thoughts. Which was odd, after all, his cousin sister, usually wore her heart in her eyes. If she didn't, something would certainly be wrong.

It was really starting to worry him.

 **...**

The third thing he noticed, was how distant, she was.

Her greeting was cordial and fine, for a pair of relatives that hadn't met for years; however, considering the fact that they met almost everyday, one would think, that they were closer than that. Her stutter had also reduced, he realized, before blinking back in shock. What had happened?

"I've been great!" He decided to respond, his smile brighter than it usually would be, if she noticed something, she didn't say it.

Opening the door wider, he stepped back and motioned, for her to come in. As she did so, he slammed the door, shut, before patting her on the back, hard. "How've you been? Is your cold better?" This last sentence held a certain note of concern in it, and Hinata couldn't help but smile.

"Yes." She replied, her eyes trained towards the floor. "It wasn't something s - serious, and it only took a few days, before I g - got better."

"Good, that's good!...How's Hima - _obasan._ I heard that she got admitted to the hospital."

"Y - Yes." Hinata said, after a moments pause of hesitation. Her eyes shone with sorrow and guilt, as she spoke her next words. "The doctors say that she is fine, but her body needs rest to r - reciprocate."

"Oh. Tou - _chan,_ told me that, but he mostly left out a few details. Did Hiashi - _oji_ tell you?" He asked, curiously, blinking.

"Y - Yes. T - Tou - _san,_ thought that it would be best to inform me about the state that Kaa - _san_ was in. He said, that it would only be b - beneficial for me to know."

Shaking his head, Neji puffed the strand of hair that entered his face, to the side, before responding. "Hiashi - _oji,_ way too tough on you!"

Instantly, Hinata shook her head, disagreeing; her mouth twisted into a frown. "That's not t - true. T - Tou - _san_ is trying to teach me, what a proper H - Hyuga should know. It is my own i - incompetence, that doesn't allow me to understand it."

"Hinata," Neji exhaled, his eyebrows rising in shock. "You - you don't really believe that, right?"

The younger girl refused to look at him, as she turned her head away and focused on the wall next to her. Blinking rapidly, it was only then, when Neji wondered what Hikaru - _sama,_ had told her cousin sister.

 _Whatever it was,_ He though, gazing at her, confused and angry, _must have been the cause of all of this._

Silence, fell upon them, as the Heir found himself at a loss of what to say. In all his time of knowing Hinata, not once had he felt tongue tied or at a loss of words. However, as his mind was filled with things to say, his mouth simply refused to cooperate.

Taking pity upon him, the young girl spoke, hiding a small - real - smile. "My, my, N - Neji - _sama,_ I see you've become tongue tied. D - Doubting yourself?"

Shocked at her bold manner, Neji paused, before sputtering out an surprised answer. "Hina!"

Hinata blinked, before sprouting a small smile. Shaking her head, the young girl opened her mouth before closing it, hesitantly. Finally, she grit her teeth together, before speaking once more, much softer, than before. "Just..never change, okay Neji - _sama._ "

Confused, Neji cocked his head, before asking, "But why would I change, that's such a silly question."

Staring at him for a few seconds, the younger girl then let a melancholy smile grow onto her face. "Yeah," She agreed with him, after a moment of silence. "You're right, it was a silly q - question."

Smiling at each other, Neji burst out laughing, while Hinata shook her head. The tension, between them was long gone and it took no effort for Neji to speak. "Hey Hinata...between the both of us, you're the one that has changed the most."

"I have?" Was her cautious reply, her shining lavender orbs, hidden. "I d - didn't know that."

"Hmmphmm." Neji responded, before nodding. "But don't worry, you're still the same you as before. Right?"

At this Hinata sighed, an unknown emotion coursing through her. Tugging at his arm, the younger girl quickly led him onto another topic, effectively changing the subject. "It doesn't matter. Anyways, h - how's the new _k - kata **(1)**_ that you learnt? I heard it was tough."

"It wasn't that bad, but it did make me sweat a bit..."

 _Oh Neji - sama. Sadly, I cannot answer that question._

Raising her head to stare at the questioning look in his own, she smiled, a melancholy smile.

" _Imouto..._ are you _really_ alright, you don't have to lie to me." Neji asked, slightly concerned and worried, for his cousin(s), welfare.

 _Because I am afraid that I will have to lie._

Hinata just shook her head, before nodding, her eyes dull and yet, bright at the same time. "I will be fine, Neji - _sama._

 _And I won't lie to myself again._

 ** _..._**

 ** _"I miss the old me._**

 ** _I miss the happy me._**

 ** _Everything has changed._**

 _ **But with the old**_ _ **me,**_

 _ **came a naivety.**_

 ** _And I can't be naive, not anymore._**

 ** _Yet, it doesn't stop me,_**

 ** _For wishing to change out the hell i've become,_**

 ** _and into the calm, I once was."_**

 ** _\- Unknown_**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

"Don't scare us like that again." Mikoto had scolded the young boy, once he had woken.

" _G - Gomen,_ Kaa - _san..."_ Was all the blonde Uzumaki could get out, before he was smothered in a giant hug.

"It's alright, you just worried me, that's all." The Uchiha Matriarch said, unaware of her middle sons growing guilt.

"Kaa - _san's_ right. You really had us worried their, Naru - _chan."_ Uchiha Shisui said, as he ruffled, the younger boys hair.

"I - I didn't mean to make you worried..." The young boy said, feeling oddly bashful, as a light pink hue appeared onto his cheeks. He even forgot to correct the elder boy, about his name.

"I know you didn't," Mikoto said, knowingly. "Don't worry, it wasn't completely your fault."

"Besides," Shisui said, nudging the youngest Uchiha forwards, "Sasu - _chan,_ was probably the most worried out of all of us."

"No I wasn't!" Sasuke insisted, huffing and turning his face sideways.

Mikoto chuckled knowingly, as Naruto used this as an advantage to tease the other boy. Sighing, softly, she ran her fingers through his blonde hair, before smiling. "I'll go tell someone to alert Fugaku. He'll be very pleased to hear the news."

"Oh yeah. I was wondering where Tou - _san_ and Itachi - _nii_ were." Naruto said, rubbing his eyes. "Are they at the police station?"

"Well," Mikoto said, smilingly softly. "Fugaku is, however, Itachi was drafted into going to a new mission **(2)."**

"Oh." Naruto said, the light dimming from his eyes. "Again?"

"Hn. Don't worry, he only did that, so that Hokage - _sama_ would let him take a few weeks off, to stay with us." Sasuke said, offering the blonde, a much needed grin.

"Thanks," Naruto said, his smile coming back to him. Opening his mouth once more, the blonde haired boy, attempted to say something, when he was cut off by the loud rumbling off his stomach.

Chuckling sheepishly, he placed his hand on his nape, as Mikoto just shook her head fondly. "Alright then boys, it's time to leave."

"Wait, I can come with you?" Naruto asked, slightly overjoyed. Hospital food, was always gross and the four year old, always hated the fact that they made him eat it.

"Yeah. Mikoto - _sama,_ asked the medics and they said that as long as you don't do any stressful activities this week, you can come with us." Shisui said, rolling his head, from side to side.

"How many times have I told you to just call me Mikoto?" The female asked, exasperatedly.

"Too many times to count!" Shisui jibed playfully, before rolling his eyes at Naruto's happiness.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered.

 **...**

"Hey Kaa - _san?"_ Naruto asked, as he slurped down the remainder of his dango, which they had bought. "Why was I in a coma for so long?"

Mikoto paused, and contemplated, what to respond; however, Shisui beat her to the punch. "Well, you see Naru - _chan,_ the medics didn't know what was wrong with you, therefore, Hokage - _sama,_ had to call someone else, who lives far away from Konoha, to come and treat you."

At this Sasuke wrinkled his nose. "You should've seen him!" Sasuke responded, his eyes narrowing. "He looked really fishy!"

"Sasuke - _kun,_ " Mikoto scolded, swatting her youngest son on the head. "You shouldn't say that about _sensei!"_

At this Naruto perked up, the fact that is Kaa - _san(s)_ _sensei,_ was the one that healed him, was a major feat; but it kind of confused the young boy. Wasn't his Kaa - _sans, sensei,_ a sealing expert. Why would a sealing expert be need for a medical problem?

Unless...they knew about the fact that the _Kyubi,_ was sealed inside of him.

Looking back at some of his memories, the blonde haired Uchiha found himself pausing as the shock hit him. It seemed that his family had known about his little...tenant. However, the reason they didn't tell him was nowhere to be seen. Swallowing harshly, the crevices in his mind allowed feelings of doubt and anger to creep through them. Did they not trust him? Was that what was going on? No, no. Naruto shook his head, before calming himself down. They were his family, and even if they might've hid this from him, they loved him and cared for him; and that ought to be worth something.

"By the way," Sasuke asked, while they were reaching the front entrance of the Uchiha Compound. "What was it like, while you were in the coma?"

"Sasu - _chan!_ " Shisui said, while frowning. "That's not something you ask someone."

"I agree, that was quite rude Sasuke," Mikoto said, sighing softly.

"But- I was just curious."

"That's okay." Naruto said, smiling slightly. An idea entered his head and slyly, he continued, wondering what would be their reaction. "I'm really curious too. Mr. Red Eyes - _san,_ tells me that i'm too curious, for my own good."

If Naruto noticed the concerned look that Mikoto and Shisui exchanged over his head, he didn't mention it. However a small smile curled up at the edge of his lips. Serves them right, for keeping that secret from him!

"Naruto - _kun,_ " Mikoto started out, hesitantly. "Who is this 'Mr. Red Eyes - _san'?"_

"Hmm," Naruto hummed, before placing a finger, onto his lips. "Oh, that's right, you don't know who that is! Mr. Red Eyes - _san,_ isn't really his real name, just the nickname, I made for him. He lives in my brain, and is really smart.

"...And what is his real name, pray do tell?" Shisui asked, his eyes glinting slightly.

Giggling widely, as if remembering their conversation, Naruto responded in a very happy tone. "Oh, his real name is _Kyubi,_ but I like Fluffy - _chan,_ better."

"...WHAT!?"

 **...**

 _ **"OHANA, means family.**_

 _ **Family means that nobody gets left behind,**_

 _ **or forgotten."**_

 ** _\- Lilo and Stitch_**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

The room was dimly lit, the light just barely reaching the ends of the desk, not to mention the corners of the room. The light setting, cast shadows over the wooden walls, as a single window, illuminated the outside, peering over the village of Konohagakure. The inside of the room, held multiple shelves, each one filled with binders and paperwork, ones which were filled with red markings and blue stamps. In the middle of the room, was a an oblong table, stretching from one end of the room, to the other. It's contents, were a another stack of papers - these ones empty - and a pot of ink. On the far right side of the table, was a purple pillow, and on the pillow, was a single crystal orb. The orb glinted in the dim light, filling the room with a heavy, foreshadowing feeling.

Hatake Jiraiya suppressed a shiver, when the light seemed to grow brighter. Either it was from that, or from the look on Shimura Danzo's face, as he entered the room. It was no secret, that the two men... _disliked,_ each other. Although, dislike was to put it lightly, as Jiriaya had once told Minato, that he would rather kiss a toad, before shaking hands with Danzo. As for why? Well, Jiraya just got an unsettled feeling around him, and in the _shinobi_ world, you stuck with your gut instincts, if you wanted to stay alive.

To Danzo, Jiraiya was just a pervert with a waste of brains. The man thought that the Toad Sannin was throwing away his life on perverted novels, when he could've been doing something helpful and useful for Konoha. He was a disgrace to all _shinobi._

Between the two men, was a third. His name was Nara Shikaku and he was the Head of the Nara Clan, alongside of being a _Jonin_ commander of Konoha. Alongside of these two titles from himself, he was also a great strategist and held name, 'Chief Strategist of the Allied Shinobi Forces'. His face was a tanned brown, and he wore a meshed, green shirt, which was underneath another dark green flak jacket, which was a deer skin coat, with hand guards covering his elbow to his fingers.

Sitting behind the wide desk was the third Hokage, (The _Sandaime_ ), Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming today. We have a lot to discuss." The God of Shinobi started out, letting his eyes travel to all three of the rooms tenants. "Their is nobody more than you three that I trust."

"We are honored that you have chosen us, Hokage - _sama._ " Shikaku said, his posture straight and cold, different from his usual uncaring manner.

"There is no need to be that serious, Shikaku." Hiruzen said, taking in the other man's expression.

Relaxing slightly, although not losing the cold look in his eyes, the young man merely nodded once more. "Then may I ask, why did you call us, Hokage - _sama?"_

"I agree with Shikaku - _san."_ Danzo said, speaking up for the first time. "Hokage, why have you called us today, is it about the _Kyubi_ brat?" His eyes formed a small glint at that. "Because I have already told you, that I can train him properly, their is no need to do something else."

The Head of the Nara Clan looked at all three of his superiors, before sighing slightly. _**What a drag...here they go again.**_

" _His_ name is Naruto." Jiraiya said, crossly, his eyes stern and angry. Coolly, he continued, "And there is no need for you to raise him up to be a machine."

Danzo rose and eyebrow and opened his mouth to rebuke, when he was cut off, by Sarutobi's hand. "Gentlemen," He said sternly, "This is not the time to fight."

"Of course, Hokage." Danzo said, the moment Jiraiya relaxed an nodded his apologizes.

Sitting back and sighing, the _Sadaime_ placed a single hand on the table, and the other one in his lap. "I have called you today," He said, raising his eyes to meet the orbs of all the other _shinobi,_ "To talk about the _Kyubi_ and what will happen with Naruto - _kun_."

"I am...confused," Shikaku said, before any of the other members could speak up. "If I am not wrong, and please correct me, if I am, Jiaraiya - _sama,_ has already fixed the Uzumaki's seal, therefore stabilizing him?"

Danzo kept quiet, as Jiraiya nodded along, his eyes sharpened, as he took in his old teammates expression, and he knew that wasn't all there was to the story. If he played his cards right, then it was possible, that he would get the blonde haired _jinchuuriki_ , over to his side. If he did, then it would be the perfect path, to bringing a brighter future to Konoha.

Hiruzen, resisted the urge to place his chin on his hand and continued onwards. "That is true, however, during Naruto - _kun's_ brief coma, it seems that he has already interacted with the _Kyubi._

"What?" Jiraiya asked, widening his eyes. "But, how? The seal made sure to prevent that!"

"That is true...however it seemed that the only reason that Naruto - _kun,_ met the _Kyubi,_ was because the beast wanted him to do so."

A silence descended on them, and it turned out to be Shikaku, who broke it. "What does this mean? Do we have to be more careful, about this...development?"

"I don't think so, however, we can't be too certain, after all, we don't want Kushina's mistakes to be played over again."

"Very well, however, Hokage, you have not explained to us, what our next steps of action are." Danzo said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, his white robes, swishing on the ground.

At this, the famed, God of Shinobi sighed, and merely shook his head. "I have decided to leave the case be for now. However, even if the two of them have contact with each other, one more time; we shall move onto to plan B."

"And what, is that?" Jiraiya asked, not expecting his old _sensei_ to smile at him.

"Well, I thought it was quite obvious," Hiruzen said, shaking his head. "I think that Naruto - _kun,_ shall join you in your travels."

"Troublesome..." Shikaku muttered, as the two older men, jumped on this sentence.

"But Hokage! You want the _Kyubi_ brat, to be trained by this- pervert!" Danzo exclaimed, his hidden eye twitching inside of his cover.

" _Sensei!_ You know I can't do that! Besides, travelling, isn't the best place to be with a kid!"

Waiting for their arguments to die down _(There were a lot)_ , the elder man, raised an eyebrow, before sighing, and plowing on. "I understand your concerns. First of all, Danzo, I will agree that while Jiraiya, might not be the best...role model, you cannot admit that he isn't a formidable _shinobi,_ and certainly, will teach Naruto - _kun,_ well."

At this, Danzo had to grit his teeth and stay quiet, his eyes burning with silent fury; his breaths came out shaky, as his hand clenched.

"And Jiraiya, i'm sure Naruto - _kun,_ will adapt just fine to traveling, especially since you'll be teaching him along the way. I understand that you are hesitant to do this, however, i'm sure that Minato would want you to be the one to teach his son."

The silver haired shinobi shut his mouth, before closing his eyes and contemplating, his thoughts. Finally, he opened his hazel eyes, before speaking, his voice determined. "I understand Sensei, I will do my best." However, even if he didn't agree, he still wouldn't have a choice. What the Hokage told you to do, you did.

"Arigatou, Jiraiya." The Hokage said, before turning to Shikaku. "As for you, Shikaku, please keep an eye out on Naruto - _kun_."

Nodding his head, the Nara sighed, before responding. "I will invite the Clan children over for Shikamaru's birthday, I shall observe him them."

"Good. Now Danzo?"

"Yes, Hokage?" The ROOT operative answered, through gritted teeth.

"Please make sure to keep on top of things. You still owe me that paper on the A Class mission, one of your troops went on."

"... ** _Hai._** "

Clearing his throat, Sarutobi Hiruzen, straightened his back, before setting his hands firmly on the table. "That is all for now. I believe that this discussion is over. You are all, dismissed."

Danzo was the first one out the door, his footsteps light, but still, furious. Jiraiya was soon after, bowing to his old _sensei_ first, before heading out the door, a light look of confusion and yet, wonder, on his face. Soon, only Shikaku was left, his presence straight and unyielding. "Hokage - _sama,_ if I may ask a question?"

The God of Shinobi smiled, a wry grin placed on his face. "Yes, Shikaku, you may. I had a feeling that you might have one."

The Nara, paused, before groaning. " _Troublesome_...I don't mean to be blunt, however, we both know that Danzo - _sama,_ is not going to be very happy about this, plan. Considering the fact that he's been trying to get the Uzumaki, for over four years. "

A sigh, and then- "Yes, I am aware that Danzo, won't be very happy about this. However, I cannot simply let Naruto - _kun_ , fall into his hands, there are too many..complications."

"I see." Shikaku, started. "Then you are aware-"

"I am." Hiruzen, said, cutting off the other man. "Danzo has, slightly stepped over the line. I am starting to monitor him, and hopefully everything will be fine. However, I don't want Naruto - _kun,_ in that area, he is too young."

"Hm." Shikaku nodded, before bowing, "I understand, thank you answering my question, Hokage - _sama."_

"That's is alright, Shikaku. Konoha needs more _shinobi_ , like you." The Hokage said, his eyes wandering to the village below.

The _Jonin_ bowed, one more time, before dissapearing out the door, making no sound as he did so. Soon the leader was left to himself, his thoughts whirring around and a small headache began to form. Placing his temple into his palm, he turned to the fresh stack of paper on his desk, a sigh in place.

Sometimes, he really hated his job.

 **...**

Deep inside the headquarters of ROOT, sat Shimura Danzo, his face twisted into an unpleasant scowl, his _Sharingan_ whirling underneath the white robes on his face. His hands turned white, as the amount of force he put on it was bone crushing. His brain bathe in anger and his teeth grinded together in frustration; while body quivered and his heart thudded painfully in his chest, the sound echoing around the room.

 _Damn him! Damn that stupid, toad!_

If it weren't for the Toad Sannin, Danzo would've already had the _Kyubi_ brat underneath his sleeve. Oh the glories he would do with that child, he could've tasted the victory in his mouth. However, the only thing that filled his mouth now, was blood and rage...lots of rage.

Breathing in deeply, the operative calmed himself down before thinking, his mind reaching to the far depths of hell, in order to get what he wanted.

And he wanted that Uzumaki.

With the _jinchuuriki_ on his side, Danzo could do wonders for Konoha's defense and it's stability. He could even rise to power, and show all the other nations, who was on top. Hiruzen, was too weak; too soft. He was simply content with what he- no what Konoha had, which wasn't much. Danzo was different however. Konoha was great yes, but she was worth, so, so much more.

And he would be the one, to give it to her.

With the smallest grin spreading across his face, the elder summoned one of his operatives up to his office, a plan in mind. If Hiruzen was acting stubborn, so could he.

It was time, for Plan C.

 **...**

 _ **"The road to hell, is paved,**_

 _ **with good intentions.**_

 _ **Too bad the people forget,**_

 _ **where they are going. "**_

 _ **\- Unknown.**_

 _ **...**_

 ** _..._**

 **Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this next chapter, as it is slightly longer then I usually make them!**

 **So I just wanted to clear up the stuff on Danzo. First off, no he will not be the main antagonist in this story, although he may be one of the many. Secondly, he will not be phrased as a madman in this fan fiction, as I personally feel that he was a good man, with good intentions - however, his methods to reaching them, are too severe. Probably, the years of killing caught up to him and corrupted his brain. However, on that note, I don't like Hiruzen either, I find him too soft and much like a pushover. As a character, he is nice, however as a person, who leads an entire nation...not so much.** **The perfect Hokage for me, would probably be a mix of both characters, as they are both way too extreme, ( _Minato_!).**

 **Also, Hiruzen may be a bit OCC in this story, as I wish for him to be a bit more stern _(He's the God of Shinobi, he has to be)._**

 **That's all for now! Expect the next chapter, sometime next week?**

 _ **Ja ne.**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies.**_


	12. CH 12 Flurries & Worries

**Hey y'all, it's me, back with another chapter!**

 **So, a question from** **_Shikara Gizzel_ (You should check out her books, they're really amazing! I often find myself reading them again and again. :) _Isn't Hashirama the god of shinobi?_**

 **The answer to that is yes, he is, however, apparently(and this is what the internet says), all of the Hokages' are given the title, god of shinobi, when they are promoted to their rank.**

 **Anyways, that's all for now, and please ask any more questions that you may have, i'll be happy to answer them!**

 **I also keep forgetting to do this( _Do I have to..really? Alright.) -_**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto - _sama,_ not me; believe me, if it did, _a lot_ of the stuff would be changed. **

**Thanks~!**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**

 **...**

 **...**

The relentless tapping irritated the young girl, as she tried to focus on the tree in front of her. Of course she had learnt the beginners chakra excersize, sticking a leaf onto her hand _(though really, it was supposed to be on your forehead, but apparently, Hyuga's didn't do that.)_ However, looking back at some of her spars, not only had she not hit the person properly, she also used too much chakra, while doing so. After talking to Natsu - san, and understanding that there was another way, to properly gain control of her chakra, she had instantly gone out to try it. It certainly was harder than she thought it would be, considering the fact that it had been fifteen minutes and still, the damn tree wasn't letting her stick onto it.

Hinata frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing at the sight in front of her. Her eyes twitched, as she wondered why she was failing so miserably. She was doing every Natsu - _san,_ had told her to do. Push the chakra onto the balls of your feet; while regulating it, properly. Then place your feet onto the trunk, making sure to keep the amount you apply the same. So she did just that. Honestly, the amount of times she had fallen, was really ridiculous. The only way that hadn't broken a bone or two, was for the fact that she had placed an old pillow below the area where she was walking.

Thinking about it, the bluenette realized that she also had problems while practicing the leaf excersize.

It wasn't the theory she didn't get, for that was simple enough. It was the application of the theory and the way she was _supposed_ to apply it.

She just couldn't do it.

She had tried _believe her,_ she had tried. However, the moment they told her what to do, she knew she wouldn't be able to do it. It was probably because of how they explained, what chakra felt like. To the elders( _and the rest of the Hyuga - who was she joking, probably to all of the shinobi's)_ the feeling of _chakra,_ was almost like a flame. Its' warmth spread onto their bones, and all around their body; only building up, when they wished it to go to a certain place.

It was different for her. _(She was **different** , wasn't she? What? What was wrong with he-)_

 _(Why was she so different?)_

Her _chakra_ reminded her of a snake actually. It coiled tightly near the bottom of her nape, sending a chilling feeling over her spine and numbing the skin that layed their. Unlike the _others,_ her _chakra_ didn't travel on her bones, but rather in her blood. She could sense it, every time she was put in an compromising situation, she could _feel_ its iciness, pulsing, harshly inside of her.

Almost as if, it was trying to break free.

Pursing her lips, the young girl leaned against the tree, her head hitting the large trunk, of the green giant. Slowly, she slid down, her head bunched up around her shoulders and her legs stretched out in front of her.

This was her getting nowhere.

Sighing, she fisted the grass underneath her palms tightly, before shutting her eyes. Ignoring the slight probing that formed their, she rolled back her tense shoulders before frowning, slightly. Exhaling harshly, she rolled, over before dragging herself to her feet, to figure out what was the problem.

Their was a problem with her _chakra,_ she realized, narrowing her eyes. It wasn't with the _chakra_ itself, but with the way she expelled it. Hinata had always been taught to push her _chakra_ towards one place, before letting it simmer their; that obviously wouldn't work, as she had no idea how to expel her _chakra,_ in the first place. Closing her eyes, the toddler, thought back to when she was trying to get the leaf to stick to her. How did she do it back then?

Closing her eyes, the young girl let herself be carried away by the memory - inevitably falling asleep.

 **...**

 **...**

It had been two weeks, a whole fourteen days, since the the blonde haired brat had last visited, and so the _Kyubi_ thought he had simply forgotten, or hadn't taken his promise seriously. The fox demon, wondered why he even believed it; it was nothing more than a pair of last words, nothing too significant. Yet, when the Uzumaki never showed up, he couldn't help, but feel the familiar sting of melancholy, reopen in his heart. Snorting slightly, he curled up into a tighter ball nestling his head on top of his forehands, he should've known better.

All of them left him; even the sadist - the only one who got to know him - eventually, left.

Although, the nine tails, had to admit that the adopted Uchiha was very odd. At such an young age, he had already created a mask for himself - however, innocent it might be. Loud and unruly, were traits that he was born with; and it would be practical for him to use them. However, hidden among them, were the serious and thoughtful traits, the ones which were commonly used, but not so commonly shown. It seemed the brat, had both of his parents in him...it would be interesting to see how both of these personalities clashed with each other, as he grew up.

Closing his eyes, the _Biju,_ decided to rest his troubled mind when he was interrupted by an obnoxious, and vibrantly cheerful, voice - one which he recognized. Snapping his crimson(T _hey were **not** red. That would be just simply, ludicrous.) _eyes open, the fox merely widened his eyes, at who it was.

"Mr. Red eyes - _san!_ Guess what, i'm back!" It was the conflicting Uzumaki.

 **"...Why are you here?"** The confusion in his voice couldn't be masked, as his mouth twisted into a slight smirk.

"Who do you take me for!" The blonde Uchiha exclaimed, grinning widely. "I always keep my word, believe it!"

 **"I can see that- wait, believe it."** The _Kyubi_ asked, his eyes snapping wide open. **"What is that?"**

"Hmm, you mean, believe it?" Naruto asked, still having that shit eating grin. "Oh, it's just a word I learnt about. I started saying it, and it kind of stuck. Why?"

 **"..Nothing. However, if anyone truly doubted that you were an Uzumaki they would be convinced by now."**

"There you go again, saying those cryptic stuff! What is this, a riddle game." The young boy whispered that last part to himself; his smile twisting into a playful frown. "I seriously don't like it."

 **"I know."** The nine tailed fox replied, his brain then registering, what the blonde had said earlier. Frowning, he scowled. **"I could say the same about _you_ calling me, that ridiculous nickname." **

"Oh you mean Mr. Red Eyes - _san?_ Don't worry, today's going to be the last time I call you that."

 **"Oh. I see-"  
**

"Your new name is Fluffy - _chan!_ "

The nickname should've infuriated him. _He,_ the all powerful _Kyubi_ , was given the nickname that one would give a common bunny! The brat truly didn't know who he was talking to, did he? The large _Biju_ wondered, how the young boy would react if he found out that with just a single swipe of his paw, he could kill him. He wondered, what would happen, if the boy found out how much he _hated_ humans _(He did hate humans...no the sadist didn't count! He hated her too...although hate was probably too big of a word to use. Dislike. He highly disliked her. Although, their chats **had** been somewhat amusin- no! no! Bad fox! Bad fox!). _Shaking his head, the _Biju_ had to hold back a smile as he playfully narrowed his eyes, and acted out a scowl.

 **"That's no better, brat."**

"Don't call me a brat!"

 **"Don't call me Fluffy."**

"But I want tooo..." Naruto groaned, stretching put the sentence slightly.

The fox regarded him with a disdainful look. **"I can understand that, brat."**

"You drive a hard bargain." The Uzumaki sighed, before plopping down, once more. "You're really crabby, you'know? Although, I guess it does make sense."

 **"...First of all, I am _not_ crabby. You are just too overexcited." **He began, squaring the blonde with an irritated look. **"...And pray do tell, how does me 'being crabby', make any sense to a fool like you?"** He wasn't curious, no that would be ridiculous. He merely wished to know the answer to his question, that was all.

"It's because you're not used to company right?" The Uchiha asked, slightly tilting his head.

 **"What?"**

"You're not used to company, are you? Isn't it lonely, staying here all by yourself!?"

The _Kyubi_ paused, his mouth slightly gaping as he stared at the young - insolent - boy in front of him. **"It - I- I am not lonely! Watch your** **mouth."** He managed to growl out, his eyes narrowing.

Anger grew inside of him, as the slightly pulse of irritation sped throughout his body. Although, through the muddle of feelings that settled into his head, the _Biju_ couldn't help, but hating that fact that the boy hit the problem right on the head, with a nail. _IDIOT._

His display of anger should've shocked - or even scared the young boy. So imagine the _Kyubi's_ surprise, when the young boy just furrowed his eyebrows and a thoughtful expression formed on his face.

"You're right," he started, before grinning up at the _Biju,_ "After all, from now on, you got me! So you won't be lonely."

The fox could only stare at the adopted Uchiha, a look of revulsion and yet, wonder. Wonder that a boy, so small and yet, so...determined, could promise him something, that he couldn't keep.

 **"Why?"** He couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm?" Naruto hummed, before grinning. "You give really good advice, and you're the only one who kinda gets me. Besides, everyone needs a friend!"

The human life was so, _so,_ incredibly small, in fact it didn't even represent one _fifth,_ of his entire lifespan; it was ever so fragile, breaking underneath the tap of one finger. To him, it passed by so fast, leaving the people no time to do something with it, and yet, this boy, this small, tiny, boy, was telling him that he wouldn't be lonely. This... _imbecile,_ was saying that he would keep him company. HIM, the scary, monstrous _Kyubi?_

 ** _'...Damn you Kushina, for making this brat.'_**

"-uffy - _chan,_ Fluffly - _chan._ FLUFFY - _chan."_

 **"Kurama."** In all of his life, he had only given one person his name, willingly.

One more person, couldn't hurt.

"What?" Naruto asked, tilting his head towards the side.

 **"My name,"** The orange furred fox said, his shining crimson eyes, unreadable. **"My name, is Kurama."**

"Kurama.." Naruto hummed, before smiling; his blue eyes lighting up in glee, "Alright, i'll call you that! But I liked Fluffy - _chan_ better."

Kurama scowled.

Naruto was definitely, Kushina's brat.

 **...**

 ** _"If you just learn to let go, and start to bring people into your life,_**

 ** _you may not know what can happen._**

 ** _A_** ** _fter all, a rainbow will only ever come after the rain."_**

 ** _\- Unknown_**

 _..._

 _..._

 **...**

It was ringing.

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

She could hear it, pounding away in perfect symphony.

 _Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump._

Why wouldn't it go away?

 _Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump._

Why wouldn't it leave?

 _Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump._

It agitated her, as it cut through the silence of her thoughts, letting the anxiety grow louder and larger. She wanted to scream, to cry out. Anything to get it out of her brain. Her ears felt as if they were grated upon, it's subtle threat unyielding and yet, delicate, so, so delicate.

 _Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump._

So she paced up and down, her feet slamming into the cold, hard ground, in an effort to drown out the constant thumps. Her arms raised towards her ears, as the callused palms of them, pressed against the soft flats of her outer ear; to try and hinder its progress. It didn't work, as the flat surfaces of her ears only allowed the sound to travel faster into them.

 _Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump._

She trembled as the light gust of air whirled into her room, from the open window. Peering outside, her eyes narrowing, she straightened her back as the sound faded slightly. Her body tensed while the utter silence chilled her far more than the cold did. Suspicion entered her mind, as slowly, ever so slowly, she surveyed her surroundings. It had seemed to be an entire hour - when in reality it had only been a few minutes - when she finally relxed. Though not before shutting that window and ducking underneath it, her head coming to reach up to the bottom frame.

 _Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump._

 ** _Was she going crazy?_** _(Of course she was. However when was she ever simple, when was she ever **sane?** No, she was too sadistic to be sane, too ruthless. Too, too, too, everything- and yet, not enough.) _

The purple haired teenager curled her hands, before shifting into a crouched position. His eyes closed as her heart beat, which had been beating rather rapidly, was slowly calming down; to its normal pulse. Her hands trembled, as her ears cried out in worry.

 _Ba - dump._ ** _Ba - dump._** _Ba - dump._

A wry smile pulled at her lips, as the smallest amount of light filtered into her dark, dense room. The sun was up, had she really stayed up the whole night?

 _'Well,'_ She thought, shaking her head. _'It doesn't really matter.'_

After all, what was there to change? Get up, go to work and pretend, pretend that everything was okay. Lying, was something she was used to, something she lived, thrived in. It was the only constant in her life, the only wall. The support.

After all, she was a _kunoichi._

 ** _Ba - dump._** _Ba - dump_ _._ ** _Ba - dump._**

She couldn't be weak or vulnerable; because if she did, she would die. Die a plain and _boring_ death( _just like the millions that did, their names were placed on the graveyards- but so what? What good did that do?)._ She wanted to do more with her time, more with her _life._ However she couldn't, after all, she was still caged, caged by that vile mark.

 _And she wanted to kill the man that put it on her._

Her hatred, her anger, it was all focused towards him. Yes, she did have a life and yes, she did have friends _(much more enemies though, some even inside of the village),_ however, before she died she wanted to see _him_ leave this land.

She wanted to see the light go out of his despicable eyes and see the blood dripping out of his mouth, when she punched him. She wanted to watch as his hits became weaker and weaker, and the cackle that he usually had, turn into screams, desperate screams, of help. She wanted to be the one, who crushed every bone in his body, to remind him what he did to her, what he did to them. Most of all, she wanted to hold her hand to his pulse and wait until it became faint and completely stopped.

She wanted him dead.

 **Ba - dump. Ba - dump. Ba - dump.**

She laughed, the cruel sound echoing off of the corners of the room; as the gleaming sun had not yet thawed the iciness, in her heart.

 **...**

 _ **"These mountains that you are carrying,**_

 _ **you were only supposed to climb."**_

 _ **\- Najwa Zebian**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

The subtle graze of the sun in his room, caused Sasuke to sit up in sweat. Steadying his beating heart and calming his trembling arms, the young boy peered outside, before turning towards the blonde next to him. Trying to calm down his racing pulse, the youngest Uchiha studied his brothers tranquil expression, before placing his head in his hands.

After what it seemed to be forever, the black haired Uchiha slipped off of the bed, his feet lightly tapping onto the wooden ground. Reaching towards the bathroom door, the boy switched on the light, wincing as it entered into his hazy vision. Stepping onto the footstool, the four year old turned on the water, to wash his face. As the cold water hit him, making him inhale a small gasp, the young boy closed his eyes, before dabbing his face with the towel. Puffing out a breath, the youngster willed for himself to calm down, as the trembling of his arms hadn't reduced.

The dreams weren't gone yet.

They were still their, haunting twisting his thought into nothing else, but them. Although, he probably should've called them nightmares, considering the amount of times that he woke up, in either pain or fear. He could still feel the stinging feeling, whenever he was injured, but that was ridiculous. After all, why would he physically be hurt; when it just came from a dream?

Sasuke didn't know, but the aspect of the whole thing was slowly freaking him out.

The visions scared him.

What he saw chilled him to the bone.

Sometimes he was in a battle field, with people all around him fighting. Person and person, animal against animal, their seemed to be no difference. They used insane tactics against each other, slamming the other person to the ground, in a fit of delirium. Pale bodies littered the ground, as blood seemed to be the only ghastly sight evident towards his eyes. The air as well, was filled with a putrid metallic scent. It left him frozen to his feet, until he woke up, sweating harshly and crying.

Was this...was this war?

Other times he would be stuck in a dark room, his hands and legs binded together, making it impossible to escape. His eyes were filled with shadows and the only thing he could see was the table on his right, which made wish he was blind. Bloodied items lay there, their color only glowing underneath the dim light, which let him see nothing and yet, everything.

Everything, he wished he didn't see.

His shoulders shaking, the young boy shook his head, his hands penetrating onto his hair and pressing against his skull. Gasps escaped his mouth, as the harsh sound filtered throughout the silent air. Silently, the tears slid down his face, as he willed his conscious to dissapear.

No. Not now. He wanted to forget now.

Pressing a hand to his mouth, Sasuke attempted to choke his sobs, his back hitting the cold tiles of the bathroom. Making sure to regulate his breathing, the four year old collapsed onto the ground, his hands pressing onto his eyes. It was hard, he realized, to stay quiet, but it was essential. One loud noise, and someone would come and find him. After all, the entire house contained _shinobi._

 _Deep breaths, that's it. Calm down._ It was the mantra in his head, constantly repeating, over and over again. It was the only way how he didn't break down in front of his family, or strangers even.

It was his suppressant.

Wiping his face, with the towel, the boy took in heavy breaths from his mouth and slowly exhaled them from his nose. It took a while, before he was finally calmed down, and then he placed his signature grin on his face and relaxed his tense shoulders.

He was fine. It was all alright, he was fine.

"Hey Sasuke - _teme_ you done yet! I've been waiting for _ever.."_

Sucking in a breath, the young Uchiha shook his head, an infuriating smirk pulling at his lips. It seemed that the idiot never changed.

"Hn." He replied, deciding to use the Uchiha catchphrase. "Don't worry, _dobe,_ i'm almost out. You really are so impatient."

Naruto's enraged squeaks, brought a smile to Sasuke's face. Shaking his head, the young boy sighed. To make sure his family was okay, he would fine.

He had to be.

 **...**

 _ **"And the nightmares,**_

 _ **tremble me in ways I can't breathe,**_

 _ **and my strength,**_

 _ **seems to weaken every morning.**_

 _ **Give me reasons to exist.**_

 _ **I'm running out of them."**_

 _ **\- Juveria Fatima**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 **Sakura POV**

She had been left to her own devices.

Again.

 _Honestly,_ The pink haired four year old thought, _they could at least pretend to care._

Frowning slightly, Sakura blankly stared at the pink ceiling in disgust. It really had become an overrated color, she realized as she peered around her room. _Maybe I should get it changed..._

Sighing, the cherry blossom named girl let herself become drowsy, almost going into a state of light sleep. Slowly her eyes closed, however, the moment she felt herself stop thinking, the peace was broken, as her stomach growled, painfully. Snapping her eyes open, she groaned in frustration, as the silent request of her mind, had been broken.

Shaking her head, the young girl, sat up, before swinging her feet over the bed frame. Exhaling harshly, she plopped down from the head, before moving across the room, her feet thumping on the carpet. Swinging the door open, she peered her head outside of the door, before making her way towards the stairs.

She wished she hadn't.

Her kaa - _san_ was kissing someone.

Her kaa - _san_ was kissing a stranger.

Closing her eyes, the young girl ran all the way upstairs, back into her room, before slamming the door behind her, hard. Sliding down the wooden surface, the young girl collapsed onto the ground, her face hidden in her hands. Slowly, she tried to remove that image from out of her mind, and failed miserably in doing so. With her shoulders trembling, she allowed the back of her head to hit the brown door, tears, reluctantly, falling down her eyes.

She knew about it, oh she knew about it - maybe it was the hope however, that left her blinded towards it. That left her covered from the harsh reality that was her family life. Really, she was naive in thinking that everything was fine, but could you blame her? She was just a kid.

An innocent, worthless, kid.

Taking in a breath, a shaky smile pulled at her lips. Making up a decision, she pulled her knees towards her chest, her eyes sparkling in regret and exhaustion. It was time, she realized. Her _aniki's_ death had begun the change in her, but now, it was time for it to evolve, to spread.

She wasn't ready, she knew she wasn't. The fear clutched her, and held her locked in a cage; one which she was a afraid to escape from. However, the knowledge, the images which she had allowed herself to see - to _believe_ had finally brought her out, forcing her to escape from the cold area which she had known.

It was time for her to grow up.

 **...**

 _In which Haruno Sakura takes one step backwards and two steps forwards; leaving her back where she started._

 _What to do, when you fall down?_

 _You get up._

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

She remembered being someone else.

Sai knew she wasn't normal, the memories wouldn't allow her to be. They were warped and twisted in a sense, and yet, clear, so, so clear. Too clear, to be false or fake. The _voice_ came from the back of her head, all of them from the same person, a woman named Anna-Marie _(A strange name, was it not? Sai had never heard one like that.)_ She spoke of wars that had not yet come, and battles that were gained, but people - ones she hadn't even met, and yet felt close too, so, so close too - that were lost.

The black haired girl didn't understand. Everything was a jumble in her brain, different time zones meshing together into one. That other _woman,_ spoke of a different world, a different _galaxy._ A place where thousands of people lived, resided in harmony. A place where children weren't forced into the effects of warfare. This different area made the six year old question many of the tactics that she had been taught to at a young age; confusion and anger settling into most of her gaze. The irritation of the unknown haunted her, and made her wondering whether or not she was simply delirious, or if what she was seeing was real.

They hadn't coexisted peacefully at first. In fact her beginning years, she remembered fighting for most of her life, in order to gain control over her body and thoughts. Both Anna-Marie and her were violent, often clashing at unexpected times, ones which meant no value to either of them. The fight for survival was tough, however it was only when she was thrown onto the battlefield and had taken her first life, had she prevailed. That day, not only had she won a physical battle, but a mental one. Now Anna-Marie was silent, only ever speaking to her when she needed comfort, or advice, because of this bond, she was much more mature for children of her age. However, that really did her no good; as all it did, was land her in the lap of death.

She was a _kunoichi._

Honestly, it could've been worse. The other her _(who apparently was a boy - but to be honest, she had heard (seen) worst things then being the opposite gender),_ had been trained by Shimura Danzo, and raised to be an emotionless machine; in this life, she _had_ been raised by Danzo. Everything she knew off, was taught by him, however, their seemed to be a vital part that was changed now.

Shin's death had been normal. Really, the black haired girl wondered why is had hit her so _hard(why she had cried);_ yes she had grown to treat the elder boy like a brother and yes, she did love him, but why, why did want to break? Why did she want to screa-

She was really fucked up, wasn't she?

It really wasn't the fact that he died, which had scared her, but off how he had died, which did. She had fully expected the pair of them to fight, and in the end, _she_ would be the one who would fall; she would make sure off that. There was no way that he would die and she would. However, she was given the shock when she found out that he died on a mission. A fucking _A class_ mission.

 _This wasn't supposed to happen._

What was worse, was when she realized what Shin had done - or of who Shin was. Honestly, out of all of the people, she had to have an attachment to, it had to be, to be the one person that could completely turn her life upside down in one day.

Sarutobi Shin. That had been his real name. Apparently, he was the nephew of Sarutobi fucking Hiruzen and had been a spy for the Hokage all along - and now, he wanted her to continue off where he started.

This was exactly, why she was stuck in the Hokage's office, at 10pm, at night.

"Sai - _san_ , I presume?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, his eyes narrowing at her smaller frame. The six year old didn't miss the way that they narrowed; had she not been trained professionally, then she would've never noticed. Sai had to admit, as much as Danzo bitched about their leader, Hiruzen was damn good of a _shinobi_.

" _Hai,_ Hokage - _sama."_ The black haired girl replied, bowing her head. She would be daft, to not acknowledge the powerful man; as she was certain he could crush her without trying.

Crossing her arms across her lap, Sai straightened her back, but refused to take her eyes off of the table in front of her. She refused to look at the man in front of her, as it would only cause her to squirm, in her seat.

Vulnerabilities were not exceptable.

He stared at her for a few moments, before sighing, dully. "I swear," he murmured, softly. "I didn't realize that Danzo had sunk this deep."

Tilting her head, the young girl peered up, slightly confused. "Hokage - _sama_?"

Shaking his head, the elder man regained his stern voice, before speaking, once more. "I assume you know of why you have been called here today."

"I do."

"Then I ask you what your answer is." The God of _Shinobi_ answered _,_ making the young girl snap her head towards his face, her eyes wide.

This...this was confusing. Sai hadn't expected this, not at all. "Forgive me, Hokage - _sama,_ if I sound rude, however, I thought there was only one answer, to that question?"

She really did think that. Wouldn't the Hokage force her to work for him? Well either that, or he would condemn her to death and Sai really didn't want to die so early in her life. Unlike Anna-Marie, this was her first _(and only)_ life and she wanted to survive, thank you very much.

At that moment, the Hokage seemed to be older than he already was. "Truthfully, that had been the original plan; however, after seeing how my nephew spoke of you, I've decided to give you two choices. One, you shall act as my double agent and report any news you learn of, to me. The second choice, is that you decline and I shall remove your memory and displace you somewhere far away from the village."

"I see." Both cases were...troublesome. On one hand, she would be technically betraying the person who had raised her _(and yet, why did she find that concept so_ satisfying?), yet, on the other hand, she would be stripped of her abilities and lose everything that made her, her. The decision was too hard for her to contemplate and when she finally did speak up, it was only due to the loyalty, she had towards Shin. "I choose option one. However, there are some...issues that you must be aware of, Hokage - _sama._ "

There was no change in Hiruzen's feature expressions, when he looked at her. Finally her smiled, before nodding. "Very well then, please, inform me of these, issues."

Inhaling quickly, the young girl sat up, before continuing onwards, with determination. "First off all, while I may be unsealed now, and can tell you what you need to know; on my 10th birthday, I the amount I give shall start to become more and more limited."

"Hm. I am aware of this." The elder _shinobi_ said, cradling his face in his right hand. "Now, is this all?"

"Yes sir."

"Then, please follow Inoichi - _san,_ out of the room; he shall question you."

Gulping quickly, and paling rapidly, the young girl only barely managed to squeak out a deranged, "Now?" Before wincing at how meek it was.

Nodding softly, the Hokage responded in a kind, but stern tone. "If you don't mind."

Nervous and jittery, Sai bit her lip, before nodding and waiting until the blonde man that stood behind the door, came in. He gave her a kind smile, but it did nothing to sooth her nerves. In all honesty, she was slightly freaking out, about how the man would react to her...extensive knowledge.

 _'Relax.'_ A voice whispered to her, at the back of her head. _'I'll take care of the external information. You'll be fine.'_

It wasn't the first time in her life, when she was grateful for Anna-Marie.

Craning her neck to the side, she hesitated, before asking in a soft tone. "Hokage - _sama,_ i'm sorry if this is overstepping boundaries, but...Shin - _nii_ wasn't really killed in a mission, was he."

She said almost as if it was a fact and Hiruzen had to hold back sad chuckles. This girl - this small, _young_ girl, really was too perceptive. "No." He said, after a moments pause. "He wasn't."

"Oh." She muttered, her lips tighting in a forced smile.

The old man sighed for a second to peer at her, his eyes softening. _Damn._ He thought, before shaking his head. _I really am getting soft._

"However, when we find out why he died...you will be the first person I tell, Sai - _chan."_

Her body froze, her hands stilled in her air. Her legs shook as her mind began to process what the older man said. Her nerves ran haywire and the numbness made it hard to think or even speak.

 _'Calm down.'_ The voice said once more. _'Calm down, now.'_ Blinking rapidly, a thin, harsh look pulled into the younger girls gaze. Making sure to hide her face from his eyes, the Sai responded, pushing down her pride and dignity.

" _Arigatou Gozaimashita."_

She was out of the door, before he could blink.

Shaking his head, the God of Shinobi nodded to the Yamanaka Head and waited until said man was out of the room. Closing his eyes as the door slammed shut, the older man placed his hand onto his forehead and groaned, tears tugging at his eyes.

The death of Shin...was highly unexpected and once again showed the Hokage of how even in the peaceful era, it was dangerous. Almost as if water had splashed onto his face, Hiruzen realized that the death of his nephew was all due to his mistakes and laid back behavior. It hurt, he realized, to be the downfall of someone he loved and cherished.

He couldn't be like that anymore.

Thinking back to the letters that Shin had sent, the Hokage frowned, and slumped in his seat. Throughout all of his missives, the black haired boy had mentioned Sai - _chan,_ going as far, as to call her his little sister, in his later messages. He had stated that she was a intellectual, kind girl, who deserved better then what was given. Placing both of his elbows on the desk, the elder man sighed, before shaking his head. It was his nephews last wish that Sai be 'transferred' over toward his section, Hiruzen could only hope that she wouldn't betray him. The small girl seemed to be trustworthy enough, however, you never knew in his profession. One traitorous mouth, and an entire nation would crumble. However, if the girl held any feelings towards Shin, then she wouldn't.

Gritting his teeth, Hiruzen rolled out his tense shoulders, groaning when they cracked.

Really, he was getting too old for this shit.

 **...**

 _ **Hi guys! I hoped you enjoyed this latest chapter! Tell me what you think!**_

 _ **TBH it took forever, to get this done, mostly because I wanted it to reach 6,000 words and I only have a limited amount of time to write. Oh well, here it is, and I hope you like it.**_ _ **Concerning Hinata's skills, I have to admit that this fanfiction is slightly crossed over with the Avatar, but not completely. I'll make sure to add it into the summary.**_

 _ **Ja ne, for now!**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies.**_


	13. CH 13 Memories of Old

_**I just wanted to say thank you to Darth Tenibris for letting me know that should include this book in the crossover section! I am very grateful that they let me know about this, because I hadn't realized! So thank you for that!**_

 _ **Anyways, moving onwards.**_

 _ **(Guest) Sara:**_

 _ **You're so welcome, I really do love writing 32 Seconds Away! Honestly, the genuinity and kindness from your comment really made my day! Thank you!**_

 _ **MysteriousKitts:**_

 _ **Thank you so much for your review, it was really very sweet! I must say that I do agree that I find Kurama and Naruto's relationship, fun to write about. However, I must warn you that, some of their chats will be a bit more solemn, then the ones I am writing right now. Also, I understand that you have some questions about Sai and her situation. No, Sai is not a self inserted character, herself; however, I guess you could say that Anna - Marie is her 'inner voice', that comes from earth. I originally got this idea, when a friend of mine joked about how calm we all would be, if someone was constantly on our backs, telling us to stop messing up our shit and grow the fuck up. I then realized that I could implement that into my story, considering the fact that Sai would need someone to keep her from going insane. After all, she is a child soldier.**_

 _ **Also I realized that I should probably make this clear: Canon!Sai, was a boy and was one and a half, years older then the Rookie Nine. Semi - SI!Fem!Sai, is two and a half, to three years older then the Rookie Nine. My purpose for this, is purely because I wanted to bring her a bit closer to someone else(the person she will be shipped with). I hope I answered your questions!**_

 _ **Another thing, i've been asked about, is the crossover part of the story. No, the characters are not going to go to 'Pandora', and meet the Gaang. I won't say anything else, but just that it is coming up, very soon.**_

 _ **That's all for now, onwards to the chapter. I hope y'all like it ;).**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 ** _-Flashback Begins-_**

 _The wind rustled softly, the orange sun blazed into the open door of the eastern compound. Settling itself over the vast majorities of the rooms, the blinding light finally landed on the form, of one of the youngest female Hyuga's._ _The bluenette scrunched her eyes shut, as the brightness hit her hard, and the annoyed purse on her lips only grew, instead of shrinking. Making a frustrated face, she stared at the leaf accusingly, almost as if, it had something to do with all of her current misfortunes._

 _"Now, now, Hinata, there's no need for you to be so worried. I'm sure you'll get it soon." Himana said, watching as the frowning pink lips, of her daughter, turned into a minuscule smile._

 _"..."_

 _"Why don't we take a break for now?" The elder Hyuga asked, watched once more, as a pained, look entered her daughters eyes. Stifling her urge to giggle, for she knew that it would not be appreciated, Himana smiled. Really, even though it didn't seem like it, Hinata was really like her tou - san, sometimes. They even had the same frustrated face, and pout._

 _"I can go get a few snacks for you to eat? That's if you're hungry." She knew Hinata wouldn't be able to resist her cinnamon buns._

 _She proved to be right, when her daughter slumped down slightly and nodded, a dejected look on her face. Sighing softly, the two year old smiled up at her kaa - san, a rueful expression placed on her doll - like face._

 _"Y - y - yes p - please."_

 _Her expression softening, Himana crouched down and faced her only baby. "Don't be so sad, Hinata."_

 _"B - But, N - Neji - sama a - already k - knew how to do t - this when h - he was my a - age!"_

 _"Why does it matter, about how old Neji - sama was when he did this?" Himana asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. If any of the elders were the cause of her darling Hinata's lack of confidence in this situation, oh kami, she was going to have a very **fun** little **chat** with them-_

 _"I - I can't f - fall b - behind!"_

 _This, was strange..and concerning. To the elder Hyuga's knowledge, her daughter had only met Neji - sama a week ago, what did she mean by that? Asking her this, Himana waited as her face achieved a bashful expression._

 _"Well..." she started, seemingly hesitant. "N - Neji - sama says that h - he wants m - me to h - him c - change the H - Hyuga clan and if I w - want to do that, I - I just **can't** f - fall b - behind h - him!"_

 _At this, Himana shut her mouth her eyes widening. Change the Hyuga clan!? What a...childlike thing to say, but then again, they were children weren't they? Himana sighed. She should really correct her daughter and warn Hizashi -_ _sama about the things his son was saying(it would be dangerous if someone heard him, pointedly, the elders), opening her mouth, Himana started to do so, when instead, she saw the hopeful look in the younger girls eyes. Stuttering, she stopped she before shaking her head._

 _It was a lost cause, wasn't it?_

 _She'd let them stay kids, for now._

 _Patting her on the head, the indigo haired mother spoke. "Alright then, Hinata, but remember not to tire yourself out. We don't want that to happen, no?"_

 _"I - I'll b - be c - careful," Hinata said, shyly._

 _Himana chuckled at her. "I know you'll be. Now stay here, i'll be back in-" At that moment, she was cut off by a man suddenly appearing in her doorway. It was her brother in law._

 _"Hizashi - sama?"_

 _"Himana," he spoke, his eyes worried. "Hiashi wishes to talk to you."_ **_Alone._**

 _Pursing her lips, she looked down at the scared expression of her daughter. Kissing her head lightly, she whispered that she would be back soon, before whirling out of the door, the clan leader behind her; leaving her daughter in solitude._

 _Hinata blinked, a few times, before sighing and turning her attention back to the leaf. Glaring at it for a few seconds she slumped down, her feet sticking out in front of her._

 _Time to try again._

 ** _..._**

 _She didn't know why her chakra didn't work, she really didn't._

 _There was one thing she did know, however._

 _It was really pissing her off._

 _Her kaa - san had tried everything to get it to work, even going once to the medic - nins and checking whether there was something wrong with it. Something wrong with her._

 _They found nothing, but the ordinary._

 _Hinata dropped her head, slightly depressed. Frowning, she sat, up before staring once more at the leaf in her had, before puzzling over what she was doing wrong. To expel your chakra, the chakra coils had to release...was it release? Hinata couldn't really remember. Well, she thought that the chakra coils released chakra, which she therefore expelled from her tenketsu, and let it simmer near a certain area. In this case, her arms. When that didn't work, her kaa - san_ _had asked her to focus all of her energy near her stomach and try to explain what she felt. The bluenette couldn't help, but feel bad at Himana's face, when she said she couldn't feel anything._

 _But it was the truth. She couldn't feel anything in her stomach, at least, not what the other said that she had to feel._

 _If one was to ask her, where her chakra was (although, why would they? Everyone knew it was in your stomach or behind the ribcage of your heart). She would hesitate, before answering that hers was between her shoulder blades, just at the back of her nape. It was a cold feeling, she realized, early on. Not bone chilling - but more of a trickling feeling, one of a liquid; which was sent down her back and spine, finally pooling at the bottom of her back._

 _Hinata wondered, if someone was to activate their Byakugan and look at her back, what they would see. She herself didn't have an answer to that and sometimes, she found herself wanting to ask her kaa - san to fulfill her request._

 _Frowning, the young girl rose her hands up to her eyes level. Playing with her fingers and the green leaf for a few seconds, she wondered what would happen, if she were to try something else. It would be dangerous yes, extremely dangerous, Kaa - san had always warned her against playing with chakra. However, by this point she was already growing frustrated by the lack of progress that she was showing. SHE. WAS. A. HYUGA. Chakra control was supposed to come easy for her!_

 _But it didn't._

 _Deciding that it was at least worth a try, the bluenette closed her eyes and crossed her legs, shifting into a mediation pose; while clutching the leaf in her hand and holding it up. Now, instead of focusing in on her center, like she was taught to, she allowed herself to pay attention to her back._

 _Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out._

 _It became a mantra she repeated over and over again in her head, until her further surroundings faded and all thoughts from her brain dissipated into a cavern of unknown._

 _Then she felt it._

 _Her chakra._

(Unrecognizable, too hot, too cold, too unnatural-) _It was like a waterfall, she realized, the constant cycle of coldness going up an down in almost a circle. Throughout the darkness, which replaced her sight, she could actually start to sense the constant emotions of chill - almost feeling like the oncoming of winter. How coincidental, considering the fact that she was born in the month._

(Too much, the feeling, it was too much. Shouldering, drowning her in emotion-)

 _The sensation, should've reminded her of feathers falling upon her back; considering_ _of how **light** it seemed to be. However, as she sharpened her mind and gradually lost all control over the outside world; the sounds and scents ever so distant; she realized that the feathers she once thought they felt like, became a hurricane, rippling throughout her bloodstream. _**_It_** _traveled (no it spread, too far, too fast-) throughout her body, the sensation, becoming larger and larger the more she focused on it, itself. Hinata could feel it reaching into her face, traveling up into the tracks and cracks of her face and into her brain. When it reached said place, it felt almost as if it was absorbing into the slight dentures and little holes. Extending until her fingers, it almost seemed to be pooling out of them, willing her to use it. The feeling numbed her skin, almost making it seem as it she was separate from the whole world._ ( **No. It was too much. C** o **u** l **d** n **'** t **b** r **e** a **t** h **e**. **)** ( **A** **i** **r.** **She** **needed a** i **r-)**

 **S** u **f** f **o** c **a** t **i** n **g**.

 **She felt lonely. Oh so lonely.**

 _What happened next, was still a blur to her._

 _She woke up, her head pounding and her mouth chocked. After regaining her breathe and pushing them into her burning lungs, she blinked a few more times; before look around the room in her crouched shape. Lifting up her arms, she blinked, when she saw them glowing a bright white. Shocked and nervous - with her voice in her throat - she scrambled backwards, her hands shaking in confusion. Finally, calming herself down, she paused and let out a nervous laugh, when she realized nothing was going to happen. Touching her cold_ (numbing- it was numbing; chilling **_freezing_ **her hand-) _skin, she frowned thoughtfully, before peering at the leaf that was on the ground._

 _If_ this _was her chakra, then-_

 _She reached forwards, before grabbing it and turning her hand upside down. Ignoring her shuddering shoulders, Hinata held her breath as she opened her fist._

 _When she saw what happened next, she couldn't help, but let out a silent scream of joy._

 _The leaf was sticking on her hand._

 _Ha. So her chakra was fine._

 ** _-Flashback Ended-_**

It seemed that only a few minutes had passed, when she snapped open her orbs again. Her eyes cleared and her posture relaxed, as her nose twitched in irritation. Finally, as her eyes settled, and her sight became clear once more; Hinata reached up her previously limp hand and wiped off the green leaf, which had woken up her from her informative slumber. Shifting, so that her upper body was leaning onto her elbows, the bluenette, moved back against the tree, leaning onto it. Stretching her legs out in front of her, she shook her head, before sighing softly. Raising her arms up, she extended her fingers outwards, slightly, before bending them, backwards and forwards.

Trying to calm her racing heart, she placed her palm against it, her breaths coming out labored and harsh. Coughing a few times, the bluenete looked up at the sky, only to realize how late it was. The bright blue color had faded into a series of mellow pinks and soft shades of red; meaning that it was nearing to be dark. It seemed that she had stayed out later than she had anticipated.

Slowly, she lifted her knee up, before wincing when the rawness of it scraped against the coldness of her palm. The light sting opened her eyes even further, removing all traces of dizziness that it once had been in. Blinking a few times Hinata paused for a second to review the memory that she had seen. Shuddering slightly as the familiar sense of chill surrounded her, the toddler, shivered and pondered upon what to do next.

That feeling of isolation...she didn't like it.

However, there was no doubt that Hinata needed to access her _chakra._ In order for her, not only to get stronger, but also, for her to _live_ properly; she _needed_ to have an easy access to chakra.

Although, she _really_ didn't want to go through that again.

 _'But you have to,'_ A voice at the back of her head(one which sounded suspiciously like her own) said, sternly. _'Stop running, it'll do you no good in the long haul-'_ Hinata cut it off, by sighing.

Thinking over her dilemma, the bluenette's mind whizzed in thoughts before finally, she stumbled upon a possible answer. When she was unconscious, the young girl remembered the feeling of the strings...for a lack of better words for it, that had traveled throughout her body _(throughout her blood, her veins were filled with it - buzzing humming in **power** -). _Maybe, just maybe, that she could find some way to coax the _chakra_ out from their, without directly interfering with her center?

Hinata pursed her lips and stared at her hands.

How harmful could it be?

Taking in a deep breath, the young girl stretched out her fingers, before closing her eyes, once more. Focusing, this time, on the rushing of her blood, it wasn't long, before she found the glowing strands in it. It was almost familiar, the toddler realized as she let herself become partially wrapped in the slight numbness. The young girl almost smiled at how friendly it seemed, compared to dangerous it was, back then. Hinata groaned slightly, as she remembered her original mission and forwent the idea of comfort, in order to urge the bright white light to the tip of her fingers.

 _"It's their,"_ She thought to herself. _"Almost their, I got it-"_

Her eyes snapped open _(quite grudgingly actually, it scared Hinata about how easy it was to lose herself)_ and was met, face to face, with her glowing hands.

Grinning softly, at the accomplishment, her eyes shining with unshed tears of joy, the young girl hardly realized the familiar feelings of exhaustion and tiredness sneaking up on her.

Well, that was until she fell unconscious, her head hitting the bottom of the tree.

Through the shady lens, in which she saw the world, the blue haired girl realized that she had _chakra_ depletion.

Again.

Crap, her tou - _san_ was going to kill her.

 **...**

 _ **"Let's find a glorious place to be lost.**_

 _ **Waiting for someone to find us?**_

 _ **Please darling,**_

 _ **Before that, let's find ourselves."**_

 _ **\- Unknown**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

Sakura shivered as she wandered throughout the streets of Konohagakure, her hands going up to rub the lightly clothed area, that her arms were covered. Really, she should've been more prepared, however, the pink haired girl hadn't given in a lot of thought, before she had hurried out of the door. The small red dress and tiny grey cardigan, did nothing to hide the chill as it struck up her spine. It was cold, but that was understandable, considering the fact that it was autumn, close to winter actually.

Peering into the busy street lights that shone above her, Sakura watched and listened to the chatter of people, the air lit up in the positivity. Smiling slightly, the four your old tightly clenched the handle of the large straw basket(which had many flowers in it), trying to ignore the whirling of unease shooting up into her stomach. Sighing softly, Sakura shook her head, before grinning uneasily.

The place she was going, wouldn't be so bright.

Slowly, she made her way, past the cheerful laughter and the bright smiles, into a darker part of the village. The night only seemed to glisten, as the wind rustled windy. With her chattering teeth pushing together, the pinkette could only suppress the tears that were coming out of her eyes. The ones which weren't only caused by the coldness, but also, by the pain in her heart.

She was going to her _aniki's_ grave. The one, which she hadn't been to, since the funeral.

It had already been six months since then, hadn't it? A half year.

That was how long, Sokka had been dead.

Her heart throbbed as the tears became stronger now, pushing through her weak defenses. Stinging slightly, the unshed tears froze to her face, making her understand just what type of place she was visiting.

His corpses house.

Her legs buckled for a moment and it took quite a few more, for her to finally stand up again. She should go back, she realized, the handle in her hand becoming more and prickling. She should leave, and go far, _far,_ away; from whatever area was here.

Then, she realized how foolish she was acting.

If she wanted to grow up, then she couldn't be so lenient, so soft, with herself. She couldn't be so gentle, or else, she'd never change. She'll never become who she wants to be.

She didn't want to stay the same.

Taking in a shaky breath, Sakura stood up, the bones her both of her feet cracking, slightly. Her jade eyes glistened with heavy emotions, as the goosebumps on her skin were forgotten. Still cold, the young girl trudged onwards, the ends of her form fitting red dress, dragging by her legs. With her lips chattering in a silent chant, the pinkette smiled bitterly, when she arrived at the area she so seeked to be at. The area where she could find solitude in.

The beginning of the end.

The Cemetery.

As the smoke of her breaths clouded along her face, warming her slightly; Sakura wrapped the ends of her cardigan around her, in hopes to hide her tiny body from the harsh oncoming storm. Softly, her footsteps padded in the ground, her conscious finally reaching the first grave. The pinkette remembered her _aniki_ telling her once, that not a single grave shouldn't be cherished, when you are visiting the cemetery. That every grave was important and none should be forgotten. Sakura had always listened to Sokka, and this wouldn't be the first time she wouldn't.

Peering at the name, softly, Sakura traced the first word with her finger, watching at the little indents turned into bigger ones.

 _ **'Fune Arisawa'**_

 _ **Genin of Konohagakure**_

 _ **Born: 1971 - Died: 1993**_

 _ **Died in Sleep**_

 _ **"May your nights,**_

 _ **be filled with the harmony,**_

 _ **of happiness."**_

Quietly, Sakura bowed her head, eyes shut as she prayed quietly, giving out comforting thoughts, and quiet condolences. After doing this, she reached into her large basket of flowers, before pulling out two flowers; a blue Tulip _ **(1)**_ and a pink Hydrangea _ **(2)**_. Placing it, down onto the center of the grave, the young girl clasped her hands together once and bowed, before moving onwards to the second one. Again and again, she repeated this process, muttering words which she felt for each person; as while she had never met them, it was extremely...calming to thank other people for the service that they'd done, for keeping the rest of them safe.

The pinkette might've been blind to struggles of other people in her country, she knew that the life of a _shinobi,_ was not easy. Often times, she would find her brother come home, with a..lost look in his eyes. It hurt, to see the person she looked up to, look like he had no idea what to do anymore. So, Sakura did what any other kid her age did, she ignored it and pretended to think that nothing was wrong. It worked, the first few times, but after that, it started to become old and had began grating on her tiny nerves.

Ha. It had been a while since she had thought about Sokka.

Smiling, ever so slightly, her nerves shrinking into her stomach, Sakura turned to her next grave and paused, when she read the name of the person.

 _Uchiha Obito._

Crinkling her eyes slightly, Sakura shook her head, at the familiarity of those words. How did she know that name..? Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head, as the pinkette finally realized whose name she was exactly staring at. If she wasn't wrong, Uchiha Obito - _san,_ was the _Genin shinobi,_ that was the first _ninja_ that her brother had ever seen. In fact, it was only after that day, that Sokka had wanted to be a _shinobi._

Sakura shook her head. Maybe she should've been angry at him, after all, if they were going to act petty, it technically was his fault that her _aniki_ died. It was his fault that Sokka had wanted to become a _shinobi._ It was his fault that he had left her. In fact, although it did cause her to become slightly bitter, Sakura was glad that she didn't come earlier to visit her _aniki._ If she had, then who knows how she would've reacted to seeing Uchiha - _san(s)_ grave.

The pinkette wasn't mad at him, in fact, she didn't even blame him. Who knew, even if her _aniki_ hadn't met him that day, what if he would still become a _shinobi?_ Not to mention, hadn't her _aniki_ died doing something that he'd loved? Didn't that count for something?

The past couldn't be changed, Sakura was beginning to learn, and all she could do was live in this moment. Time, was precious and every second had to be used carefully, or else, it would go to waste. The young girl couldn't help it, when a tear fell out of her eyes; after all, Uchiha - _san,_ was only a teen when he was killed, wasn't he? The same age of her _aniki,_ at his own passing.

How could she be mad at him? He was just a child, like her.

And he was dead.

Blinking slightly, she sat on her knees, before leaning forwards and beginning to trace the letters, her heart growing heavier and heavier the farther she went.

 ** _'Uchiha Obito'_**

 ** _Chunin of Konohagakure_**

 ** _Born: 1984 - Died: 1997_**

 ** _K.I.A_**

 ** _He shall be missed and loved_**

 ** _"In every Angel,_**

 ** _a Demon hides;_**

 ** _and in every Demon,_**

 ** _an Angel strides."_**

 ** _\- Unknown_**

At the end of the quote, the pink haired girl paused for a moment, before sighing softly. She didn't understand what it meant, however, the impact it had on her, was surprising. Wiping and silently cursing the small tears which had escaped, Sakura shook her head, before trying to even out her breaths. Reaching into her basket, her hand shaky, the young girl placed the two flowers onto his grave before stepping back. She started to lower her head, when instead an eerie sense of foreboding entered her brain, and her spine straightened up, in trepidation.

Something was wrong.

Staring into the darkness that greeted her, Sakura whimpered slightly, as her mind sharped with ease. A chill of anxiety shot up around her, as her throat clogged with fear. The feeling of being watched grew even more, as the young girl didn't dare bow, knowing that if she did, then it would be possible, that it was over for her.

 _(Too **much** , it's too much-)_ Her breathing hacked, as her lungs tried to get used to the foreign energy which awoke, outside of her body. The urge to fall to the ground was heavy, and Sakura found herself unable to move. **(Stop.** _please, just **stop-)**_

Then, the heavy feeling dissipated and instead, a calm one filled its place.

Slightly confused, the pinkette retracted her muscles as the tenseness that had just been their moments prior, had settled into a heavy, but not uncomfortable atmosphere. While the watching feeling still remained, oddly, the pink haired girl didn't feel the danger that she had moments prior.

Exhaling a shaky and tried breath, the young girl turned back to Obito's graveyard, before bowing her head and closing her eyes. After a few minutes, she straightened up her back, before going to move forwards, but hesitating slightly. Brushing her finger at the top of the grave, the young girl jammed her hand, into the pocket of her cardigan and pulling out a small handful of cherry candies and placing it on his grave.

Sokka had always said, that Obito - _senpai,_ had liked sweets.

Hopefully, he'd like these.

Turning her head, she continued on with the pattern, before finally stopping at the last and final grave.

Her _aniki's._

Trembling, her small frame quiet approached his large tombstone; her jade eyes glinting in the darkness. Chewing on her lips, the four year old hobbled towards the granite framework, her shoulders shaking in anxiety. As she approached the rock, her eyes stung with tears, as her teeth chattered with nerves; the cold long forgotten.

Finally she stood in front of the place where all of her troubles had begun, the place where her heart had been broken beyond repair and her soul had been tattered into small pieces; the frame breaking into two. With her arms sweating, she moved her frozen legs closer towards the embellished surface of the memorial, before slightly shuffling herself towards the monument, her eyes refusing to look at the words that were carved onto it. Then, with a deliberate carefulness, she moved her gaze towards the first word, her knees falling towards the ground, as she did.

"Hi nee - _chan._ " She spoke, her voice whispered, into the darkness.

Sakura didn't expect anyone to answer her, however, it stung her, slightly more than she had expected it to. A vile flavor coughed up in her throat as she spoke next.

"It's...been a while. Things at home, haven't been so great." That was the understatement of the century.

Bending her head, before she knew it, all of her troubles came out, mushing together, as one. Words poured out of her mouth, as it seemed that her filter was nowhere in sight. One by one, the thoughts poured out of her, ramblings or not, they were all coming out, into one gigantic lump of emotions. Finally, when she stopped, she slumped forwards, her heart; which had been full with her misfortunes, was now empty.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

 _ **'Haruno Sokka'**_

Her hand moved by itself, as her mind was too occupied with old memories to think of anything else. With her fingers quivering like a storm, they dipped into the small line of the grave, tracing her _aniki's_ name, with a practiced sadness. Her hair swished around her, as a slight wind whirled throughout the graveyard, hitting her small frame like a wall. The breath was knocked out of her lung, while her hyperventilating, turned into chocked gasps. Her body grew numb, as the chattering of her teeth grew louder; each click the only thing, that she could hear.

 ** _Born: 1988 - Died: 2001_**

As she lowered her head and clutched the side of the rock, her grip hard, Sakura let out harsh whines, as her body demanded the need of air. Her grip only tightened, as the grey cardigan bellowed around her, allowing the cold air to hit her once more, significantly waking her mind up from the daze that it had been placed in. Looking up, she couldn't help, but let out a strangled gasp out, when another memory, one which was much more closer to home, hit her, deep in her chest.

It was the day that she'd been learning to speak.

...

 _"Come onnn Saku - chan! Say Nee - chan! Pretty please? I can't let tou - chan win!" A young Haruno Sokka laughed, grinning brightly towards his younger sister._

 _"Ne?" A ten month old Sakura said, tilting her head up at the eleven year old boy._

 _"Yes, yes, that's it. You can say it!" Sokka said, his eyes glinting slightly. "Come on, you can do it!"_

 _"Ne!"_

 _"What's going on here!?" Haruno Kosuke, asked, narrowing his eyes playfully at the scene in front of him. "You're doing it all wrong Sokka, Kura - chan is supposed to be saying tou - chan first."_

 _"No, that's not right!" The brown haired boy commanded, stamping his feet on the ground. "She's supposed to say nee - chan."_

 _"Now I don't think-"_

 _..._

Sakura closed her eyes, as the effects of the memory, began to hit her harder. By the gods, was something wrong with this area? After all, it wasn't normal for her to be hearing his voice. Holding back tears that were destined to fall, the pink haired girl bit her tongue, in hopes to limit the sobs that were clawing out at the back of her mouth. Her conscious fought for strength, as the familiar burning sensation worked its way, up her throat. Regaining some control over her emotions, the pinkette rose her head and continued to trace onwards, from the area that she left off from

 ** _K.I.A_**

Grimacing, the four year old, felt the urge to vomit at the sign. Silently, she thought back to the day that she realized the truth; the day that she saw his body. Her heart stopped in her chest, as her eyes resisted the urge to close once more; at the shocking scene which was was brought back into her memory. Really, it had been a while, since she had thought of her _aniki's_ corpse.

For a good reason, that to.

...

 _His limbs were a shred of mangled flesh, scars littered, throughout his face and a single horizontal line stretched against the top half of his face. His mouth was a mangled mess, his jawline horrible disproportionate from the top half. His body wrapped in a plain white shirt and pant, a color which highlighted the paleness of his skin. However, the part that hurt the young girl the most, were his eyes. Deep brown eyes that usually twinkled in mirth, but were now so empt-_

 _..._

Her mind froze as the exact understanding of the word K.I.A, dawned upon her.

Killed in Action.

So most of these people had died, just like Sokka? Why?

Why were there so many? Sakura could understand if there were just a few gravestones that were marked like this, but there weren't just 'a few'. Over half of the tombs were marked with the special words, each other carved harder and more forceful, than the last. Retracting her hands slightly, a sliver of anger entered into the young girls brain. How, could the Hokage allow this to happen? How could he send these people on a mission, knowing that they might just...die? Besides, it wasn't like the _shinobi_ didn't know their job was rigged; with their life on the line. So then why, why did they even enter it, in the first place?

It just didn't make sense.

Exhaling, and suddenly tired beyond compare, Sakura slumped against the stone, her eyes already moving onwards, to the next line. She'd think about the questions later.

 ** _"The biggest adventure that you'll take,_**

 ** _is to live the life of your dreams._**

 ** _Take the chance,_**

 ** _and make your dreams,_**

 ** _your reality."_**

 ** _\- Unknown_**

Her cheeks were wet.

Reaching up, Sakura placed a hand onto her skin, wondering what had happened. After all, it wasn't like it was raining. Soon, she realized that the wetness was the cause of her own destruction.

She was crying.

Clutching her face in both hands now, the small girl tried to hold onto herself, as the sobs wracked throughout her body. The water streamed from her palms into the crooks of her fingers, as her shuddering frame only got stronger as another thought passed by her mind. _Kami_ , it was too much for her to read the quote, way too much. As each second passed, more and more images of the days which had gone by, came to her; causing her to break down, over and over again. She ignored the voice in her head, which was telling her to calm down and instead, shook her head, the tears flying around, wildly.

She just couldn't deal with it.

Chuckling wryly, Sakura made no movement to wipe the tears from her eyes, as she threw her head into the air; the chuckles, turning into loud, feral laughs. Her hands moved to clench her own shoulders, as her eyes pried themselves open. Finally, taking in a deep breath, Sakura couldn't remove the _(misery was filled in it - that and pain, hatred and sorrow-)_ smile, which was placed on her lips. Keep it to her _aniki,_ for wanting to write a quote about life and dreams, on his gravestone. It was too much for her not hold in, and her trembling arms, were clutched close towards her chest. If Sokka was here with her now, there was no telling what he'd do-

A laugh resonated around the cemetery, causing the girl to snap her head up in shock. Whipping around, in confusion and wonder, Sakura could only stare into the darkness, her heart beating faster than before. That sound - it couldn't have been...but, that was Sokka's laugh. Slowly, with a mixture of fascination and Deja vu, the young girl lowered herself down, the shock replaced with as small smile.

It seemed even in death, her _aniki_ was looking out for her.

Bowing her head, the young girl sighed, before muttering out a brief - but meaningful - thank you. All the thoughts of what she was going to say, flew out of her head, and her heart thumped slightly in her chest. Exhaling slightly, she placed her head against the top of the grave, her body falling with her.

She didn't understand, why her _aniki_ wanted to become a _shinobi,_ and maybe she never would.

However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't try.

Her brother may not have been with her physically, however, she was sure that his spirit was with her, watching her from afar; and she didn't want him to be disappointed, with what he saw.

Sakura would make sure, that he wasn't.

Standing up, her legs shaky and body still trembling, she clutched the ends of the grey cardigan closer to herself, as one of her hands reached into her forgotten basket. A single flower layed in it, and the pinkette took it out. Placing it directly in front of Sokka's memorial, she bowed her head, before sighing, softly.

The pink Carnation ** _(3)_ **glowed in the darkness, lighting up all the corners of the eerie graveyard; making everything a little less scary. Placing her hand onto her shoulder, the young girl rubbed her covered arm, the woolen texture rubbing with her bare skin, causing friction. Clasping her hands together, the pinkette bowed her head, her brain graced with a sharpness, which she hadn't had, in a long time. Praying softly, for Sokka's goodwill, the young girl flinched as the silence was cut through, with the cheerful sounds in the nearby streets.

Raising her eyes, languidly, Sakura shook her head softly; a bruised smile placed on her pink, tiny, lips.

That was okay, after all, bruises heal.

So do hearts.

 **...**

 ** _"As long as I keep moving,_**

 ** _my grief will stream behind me, like a swimmer's long hair in water._**

 ** _I know that the weight was their,_**

 ** _reminding me about the person I have lost._**

 ** _However, it had never touched me, back then._**

 ** _It is only when I stop, does the slick, dark stuff,_**

 ** _come floating around my face,_**

 ** _catching my arms and throat till I begin to drown._**

 ** _So I just don't stop._**

 ** _I can't stop, if I want to survive."_**

 ** _\- Barbara Kingsolver_**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 **...**

Silver hair rustled in the tree tops, as a single brown eyes peered into the darkness, landing on the figure of a small girl. She was very young, maybe three or four? The man paused, his eyes narrowing at the thought of a child all alone in a graveyard. It really wasn't safe, after all, who knew what hung out, in the night?

He was still here, wasn't he? Ha. That just made it more dangerous.

With his eyes narrowing on her pink hair, the teenager frowned underneath his black mask, his face guarded as he watched what she was doing. Confusion entered his gaze, as she placed two flowers on every grave in the cemetery; why was she doing that, it wasn't like she knew all of the people? Were their really good people in this world - they boy didn't think so ( _although he knew it wasn't true - their **were** good people, weren't there?). _

Intriguing. Or at least, she would've been, if she hadn't reached Obito's grave.

He tensed slightly, but relaxed, when he found her repeating the same actions as before. His mouth turned into a grimace, as he found it troubling that she spent more time their, then any other of the other graves. Did she know Obito? No, that was impossible, she was too young to know of him - he died years before she was born. Besides, the Uchiha had never talked about a pink haired girl _(then again, when had he ever known about Obito? When had he even tried to get to know hi-)._

Suddenly, a thought struck him and he found himself glaring at her, slightly. Was she here to mock the boy? It wouldn't surprise him, if she was. After all, that was what all of the children did. They mocked his teammate, all because of the fact that he was an Uchiha. The silver haired teen swore that if he got his hands on any of them _-(he'd kill them. **Skin** their flesh off of their bones for even daring to do something like that. However it didn't matter, after all, didn't he treat him **worse?** To both him and **Rin-**_ )

 _ **Pain** heartitburnedit_sweltered _diejust **die** already-_

Shocking himself back into his own thoughts, the boy realized the amount of killing intent he was exposing into the air. Guiltily, he reeled it back in, just to see the younger girl relax, ever so slightly.

What was he thinking, giving off killer intent with a mere civilian around? The teenagers shook his head, and sighed into his hands, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and large, gaping, hole, where his heart should've been.

He really did ruin everything he saw.

 **...**

 **...**

 _ **"Today my forest is dark.**_

 _ **The trees are sad and,**_

 _ **the butterflies,**_

 _ **have broken wings."**_

 _ **\- Unknown**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 **Definitions**

 _ **(1)** Blue tulips: These represent trust and respect - they are usually given to an acquaintance or someone you don't know very well._

 _ **(2)** Pink Hydrangea: These represent heartfelt emotion and wonder - can be given to anyone. _

_**(3)** Pink Carnations: These represent admiration, love and most importantly the symbol of 'I miss you'. You give this to someone you deeply care for, and/or admire._

...

 _ **Did you like the chapter? I know I didn't like the amount of time it took for me to finish this. Seriously, i'm wondering if I should start cutting down the amount of words I put in each chapter and just update more often. Tell me what you all think.**_

 _ **Concerning Sakura and her naivety - don't worry, I won't make her that naive in the future, however, I needed her to be like that for this chapter, it only makes sense. After all, our little girl(Sakura) has never really been exposed to the dealings of a shinobi or the politics of a clan. Therefore, she'll have a lot of questions; ones which are mostly naive (and yet, sadly, true...). I kind of wanted this chapter to move on faster, considering the fact that I think we're spending too much time, in the childhood arcs. Oh well, an authors gotta do, what an authors gotta do.**_

 _ **See you all soon~!**_

 _ **Ja ne.**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies.**_


	14. CH 14 Spars and Secrets

**This is what I came up with. Honestly, why?**

 **Anyways, moving onwards, questions:**

 **One question I received, was what is the definition of a BROTP? I'm sorry! I totally forgot to explain that out; oops... It's okay thought, i'll do it now. Basically, a BROTP, is a pair of people, which you think would make really good friends. In this case, Kurama and Kushina are going to be friends, in my story.**

 **Hope that makes sense!**

 **Enjoy the chapter~!**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**

...

 **"What's it kit, you seem out of it today."** Kurama said, as he noticed the sullen expression of the usually bright boy in front of him.

"I.." Naruto started before frowning and trailing off. "Well.."

 **"Come on."** The fox grumbled, leveling him with a look. **"I don't have all day."**

Naruto blinked, before his face adopted a slightly dopey look. "Well technically, you do, considering the fact that you're-"

 **"Shut Up. Don't change the topic, your not good at deflections."**

At this the young boy practically wilted, before sitting back; his mouth turning into a frown. Slowly, he sighed, before shaking his head. "It's nothing really bad...it's just...i'm getting a bit worried." The Uzumaki said, finally, folding his legs towards his chest.

 **"Hm."** Kurama snorted, before curling up himself. **"About what? I can't read your mind, brat."**

Naruto rocked, back before sighing. "Yes you can. Anyways, it's about Sasuke - _teme..._ he's been acting strange lately."

The fox cocked its head, a look which would have been a adorable, had it not been for his eyes, and tooth filled smile. **"The mini Uchiha? How so?"**

"He.." Naruto stared, before shaking his head. "I don't know how to explain it, but he's acting odder than usual. Even Tou - _san,_ seems worried about him."

At this, the _Kyubi_ huffed, before replying. **"Are you going to tell me how he's acting weird or are we going to stand here and play the guessing game?"**

"I don't know how to describe it."

 **"Then just tell me what he's been doing differently. The faster you do, the faster we'll finish this."**

The younger boy ignored the last few words, before humming and responding. "Well, he's been more silent then usual and he doesn't really argue with me anymore."

Kurama snorted. **"It's called growing up, kit. You should learn how to do it, someday."**

"No." Naruto said, not even pausing to contemplate the answer. "It isn't that. There's no way that Sasuke - _teme,_ is growing up before _me._ It's got to be something else."

 **"If you say so, brat."** The _Biju_ rolled, his eyes, a sight which looked funny on a fox.

The blonde ignored this and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, when he spoke next. "He rarely smiles and is reduced to being sullen all day-"

 **"How is that different from any Uchiha? Aren't they the Emo - clan?"**

"-And he refuses to sleep at our bed time, honestly! Kaa - _san,_ has to literally bribe him to go to sleep. Even when Tou - _san,_ glares at him he won't budge, which is odd, because Saskue - _teme,_ always listens to Tou - _san._ "

Kurama pulled his head up, his eyes narrowing at the last sentence. **"And how, does he act in the morning?"** He asked, suddenly, he smile pulling back and his face settling on his front paws.

"The morning?" Naruto asked, his eyes shuffling together. "Well, he always wakes up before me, although it's weird, because _teme,_ loves sleeping. He also spends an excessive amount of time in the bathroom. The other day, I asked him, if he was having fun admiring himself in the mirror."

 **"...I see."**

"You know something." Naruto said, his eyes snapping up to meet the _Kyubi's_ own crimson orbs. The blueness of them glistened in the dim light and a sliver of knowledge entered them. Slowly, his whiskered cheeks puffed up. "Don't you?"

Kurama orange hair glistened, as he spoke next; his mouth twisting into an angry frown. **"Please. It's merely a prediction."**

The blonde haired Uzumaki, sighed, before leaning back, the knowledge in his eyes being replaced by frustration. "At this point, even a prediction is better then nothing."

The _Biju_ looked at the boy, his lips turning into a smirk. **"You've been thinking about this, haven't you?"**

"Shouldn't you know? After all, you're in my head." The young boy replied back, slightly childishly.

 **"Brat. Don't act cheeky."**

At this, Naruto's eyes twitched, his lips falling into a disgruntled frown. "Still, it doesn't make any sense."

Seeing at how unhinged, the young Uchiha was, the Kyubi rolled his eyes, before replying. **"I only have a speculation, however, if given the right information, then, i'll know the truth."**

"What information, do you need?"

 **"Ha. Like _you_ would be able to find enough information for this." **

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly, his eyes narrowing angrily.

 **"I said what I meant."** Kurama said, his voice taking on a dismissive tone. **"If you were to sneak around for information, you'd probably find nothing, at how loud you're."**

"That's not true!" The four year old responded, leaping up, annoyed. "I can get information!"

 **"Really?"** The nine tailed fox said, his voice low and grumpily, however, his eyes gleamed in satisfaction. **"I don't think so."**

"I can! I'll prove it to you Fluffy - _chan_!" The young boy said, determined.

 **"Don't call me fluffly - _chan,"_** The fox started, his eye sparkling with mischief and sadistic pleasure. **"Alright. I'll tell you what I think about the mini emo, if you can find what was Uzushiogakure."** Kurama said, enjoying the fact the the younger boys expression went from determined, to annoyed and confused.

"Uzu - shio - ga - kure?"

 **"Yes."**

"And why..." The younger boy begun slowly, "Is this important?"

Kurama snorted, before flicking his tails(all nine of them) and responding. **"That's for you to find out brat. You have one week, now go."**

...

Waking up from his eventful slumber, the blonde haired Uzumaki opened his eyes, just as the sun hit him in the face. Wincing, he pouted at being awoken; all the while, gradually becoming aware of his senses. Feeling the chill from the area next to him, Naruto rolled over, just to be greeted with the blank sheets, of the bed. Frowning, he sat up, and sharpened his ears, before rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. Slipping out of bed, with his muscles aching horrifically, the young boy walked over to the bathroom(something which had now become a routine) in order to talk to his brother.

"Hey Sasuke - _teme_ are you done yet!? I've been waiting for _ever._ " He exaggerated, before waiting for the other boys response.

"Hn." The blonde heard from the other side of the door. "Don't worry, _dobe,_ i'm almost out. You really are so impatient."

Scowling, with a flare of angry rising in him, the blonde haired Uchiha argued back fiercely, although his ears caught the nervous - sad - laughs that came out the other boys ear.

Stopping and placing his head onto the door, the young boy sighed. Clenching his fist, he placed into onto the door.

"Hey Sasuke," He started out, hesitantly.

"Yes?" Came the other boys voice, from the other side of the door; it seemed to be wary of the seriousness in the air.

"Are you...are you okay?"

Silence entered the room, as the sound of the clock ticking was the only thing Naruto seemed to hear. The blonde wondered if he had said something wrong, or if, his brother had not heard him. Opening his mouth, he went to ask his question again when he was suddenly cut off.

"Yeah. I am." _Lies. Pure, dirty lies._

His brother had never lied to him.

"Alright," Naruto said, reluctantly, before shaking his head.

This had to stop - Naruto knew that something was wrong, and he promised, that he would get to the bottom of this, dilemma. Maybe he wasn't good at collecting information, maybe he was a loud, obnoxious young boy. However, for his brother, he would do anything.

Anything.

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _Chunin_ Nara Suzaku, was not having a very good day.

Sitting behind the desk of the ages old library, the teenager sighed, before shaking his head. This really wasn't what he'd been expecting, when he was supposed to be taking it easy. However, with Yoshino - _sama,_ as the female clan head, he should've expected it when he received a job, even on his break.

Why, was the fifteen year old stuck at this job, you ask?

Last week, his team and him had gone on a B - class mission. While they all had survived and the mission was finished pretty smoothly, he still had managed to break his leg in three separate places. Not to mention, he had torn a muscle, in his upper thigh. The medic - nins had warned him to take off a week or two, until his leg healed, so he did just that. However, he hadn't expected to be asked for a favor, by their clan head.

"How annoying," Suzaku muttered, before placing his arm onto the desk and closing his eyes.

He had been sitting their for just under five hours, and yet, rarely anybody had come into the room. It was doubtful that anyone else would come for a while, so until then, he would just relax and sleep.

It seemed that only a minute had passed, when he felt another _chakra_ signature enter the premises. Tensing up and placing his hand onto the holster of his _kunai's_ , the man cracked open one of his eyes and scanned the room, before landing on the figure of a young boy, in the shadows. His open eye narrowing, the brown haired young man, straightened his posture slightly as he looked over the boy; his eyes straining to try and see him, as he was submerged in the shadows.

Blonde hair and blue eyes framed his face, while his slightly tanned skin, led towards his frowning lips. His hands were held out in front of him, while his body was walking on his toes, in order to shield the sound his foot made, as it connected the ground. Suzaku would've been suspicious, had he not seen the thick, black, lines, which adorned his round face.

 _'Eh?'_ He thought, relaxing once more. _'What's the adopted Uchiha doing here?'_

With his frown turning into a smirk, the fifteen year old, wondered of how the brat got past the security guard, which was lounging out in the front of the door. The Nara knew for the fact that the civilian wouldn't have allowed the boy to enter into the library, saying that he would probably destroy everything; it seemed the young prankster had more brains then he had expected, considering the fact that he knew this small tidbit and worked around it.

Smart.

He himself, really had no problems with the young boy, considering the fact that the boy himself wasn't the problem. Really, if he thought otherwise, then it would be really shameful, for himself to be a Nara. After all, their clan was known for their intelligence and strategy - alongside of common sense, something that most other people seemed to be lacking. _Cough_ *civilians* _Cough_.

Suzaku wondered, what the kid was doing in here. After all, it wasn't every day that the rowdiest Uchiha (and that was saying something, considering Uchiha Shisui, wasn't any better), had decided that he would enter a library - a place that was known for it's silence and it's knowledge. Really, the brown haired teenager, wondered if the boy had enough patience of sit down and read a full book, without squirming in his seat.

He doubted it.

Had the Nara been anyone else, he would've probably opened his eyes and kicked the Uzumaki out, after all, it was the responsible thing to do. Who knew what havoc and mayhem, the boy could cause? However, it would be too long and take way too much effort him to do so. Not to mention, the fifteen year old didn't think that he could catch the boy at the current state that he was in, considering the fact that the blonde haired Uchiha was said to have a large amount of stamina. Sighing, he closed his eyes and relaxed once more, deciding to let go of it, this one time.

Who knew, maybe the brat would end up surprising them all?

 **...**

 **...**

 _ **"Curiosity can be as dangerous as a butterfly,**_

 _ **hanging over a flame."**_

 _ **\- Nancy B. Brewer**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 **...**

 _ **(Hokage's office, 1700 hours)**_

 _ **.**_

"Report."

"I have suspicions on two of Danzo - _sama's_ connection sources." Sai answered, as she stared at the glum face of, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Suspicions? Elaborate Sai - _chan._ " The elder man asked, his eyes narrowing directly on top of her smaller frame.

Making sure her face was slack and emotionless, the six and a half year old, begun to talk, her voice hushed, although the room was sealed with privacy seals.

"Danzo - _sama,_ has many connection sources, only three of which I am aware off. The first one is a woman named Bakemono _Shina_ ** _(1),_** who serves as a main councilor in the Tsuchikage's council. She known for her _Genjutsu_ skills and is called a prodigy, for her Phantom release _ **(2)**_ \- something which the Bakemono clan in Suna is known for. However, she ran away at a very young age and joined Iwagakure."

Inhaling slightly, the young girl continued off where she left off of, her tone and voice calmly matched in a blank set.

"The second one is a male named, Tsuba Kano ** _(3),_** who is a missing nin from the country of Takigakure. This man is an infiltration specialist and his prized skills are in _Kayakujutsu **(4)** _and Elemental _Jutsu **(5)**_ _-_ his element is fire and earth."

With that she paused and let a frown take over face. "As for the last one, I apologize Hokage - _sama,_ however I do not have much information on him and it would be detrimental if I asked Danzo - _sama,_ about him." _He would suspect something._

"I see." Hiruzen said, his eyes narrowing slightly, although a small, encouraging smile was placed on his face. "Please, tell me what you know."

Nodding the young girl continued onwards. "Of course. The third spies which I have heard about is a man named Iburi Kemure."

"Iburi?" The Hokage asked, his eyes sharpening slightly.

" _Hai._ Iburi Kemure is the leader of the Iburi clan. Or at least he was." Sai tackled on the end of her sentence, almost like an afterthought.

"Was?"

"Yes. This is merely a speculation, however, listening to the older recruits, apparently it has been over six years since the last time the Iburi clan has contacted Danzo - _sama."_

 ** _'Honestly,'_** A tiny voice whispered at the back of her head(Anna - Marie). **_'_ _They've learned to seal their emotions - you would think that they wouldn't gossip.'_**

Sai frowned slightly and shook her head, before replying back. _'It doesn't matter, however, it does give us an advantage.'_

 ** _'You're no fun.'_**

"Hmm," The elder man hummed, before looking at her directly. "You have an idea, don't you Sai - _chan?"_

At this, the younger girl froze, before shaking her head, hesitantly. Internally, a battle was raging onwards, he head crammed with all information of things which she shouldn't have. Really, it had been easy for her to come upon a conclusion, however, dangerous it was. Sai didn't know if she should speak, considering the fact that she wasn't quite sure that the Third, would believe her - after all, Hiruzen still had brother like feelings for Danzo, even if their relationship was strained. Finally, she spoke up, her mind coming upon a conclusion.

"I do, however, i'm not quite sure that you will like it Hokage - _sama."_

Sighing, the old man leaned back in his chair. "I don't like a lot of things Sai - _chan,_ however, it is my job to know them. Never the less, tell me, what is your theory?"

Taking a deep breath the young girl straightened her back and spoke, calm and collected, althought her palms were sweat horrifically. This was it. She either failed and died now - or succeeded and flew.

"I believe that Danzo - _sama,_ is spreading information about Konoha, to an unknown variable."

As Hiruzen let a sliver of surprise and anger behind his eyes (at what Sai had no idea. Either it was at her, or Danzo), Anna - Marie let out a shrill laugh at the back of the girls head, causing her to flinch slightly, in annoyance and pain.

"And why, do you think that? It is a very heavy thing to say Sai - _chan_." _He wasn't dismissing her._

That was good.

 _ **'Interesting. Is he finally toughening up?'**_

 _'Now is not the time.'_

Sai had heard the undertone of dubious disbelief, however, that didn't stop her tense muscles from relaxing slightly, as her shoulder straightened up. Originally, the sentence had about a _27%_ percent chance of success, and the young girl immediately had prepared for the worst. Hearing the Hokage's sentence now, sent a wave of relief and a dose of needed confidence into her, as she prepared to speak again. It didn't matter, whether or not, he actually believed her, but she needed to get this out.

If she didn't, she would explode from the knowledge, that she held. What they held. However, what she gave out, could either make, or break the structure of the land.

"I have the proof."

"Then please, explain." _Now._

Taking in a deep breath, the girl swallowed, before scolding herself for her shaky voice and trembling hands. _**'Calm the fuck down. Now, bitch.'**_

 _'Right, you're right, I can do this.'_

"First of all, Danzo - _sama,_ has been receiving multiple letters, from an unknown outside voice that calls himself K.Y. most of these letters are sealed using snake seal and mentions of prior Konoha events have been marked inside of them. Alongside of this, medical information is being exchanged; most of it's ghastly and can be traced back to Konoha's own experiments, on humans. Not to mention, from what i've understood, their are traces of Konoha's military code encrypted inside of the documents."

"Military secrets?" The Hokage seemed troubled now, his body leaning forwards in the seat which he was placed in.

It seemed he was starting to believe her.

Good.

Now all she had to do was find a way to incorporate Orochimaru into this conversation. Although, that would prove to be impossible, unless she managed to get her hands on one of those letters...another task which would be extremely dangerous, even more than usual. Calculating the risk in her brain, she began to speak, once more.

"The chance of me getting into Danzo - _sama's_ messages, are _3.14%_ so nearly impossible. Not to mention, I will have a _1.08%_ chance of getting the messages into you, before I am caught."

She might've been one of Danzo's most favorite pupils, after all, she was directly working underneath him, it was the only reason of why she hadn't received the mark yet; although she was sure that problem would ratify itself soon, she had already heard him talking about it, to another recruit.

"No need." The God of Shinobi said, shooting down that idea. "It would be too risky. Do you have any other option?"

Biting her lip, a problem which she had acquired when she was young, she paused, silently, for a few minutes; getting into a sparring match with her fellow mind tenant. Finally, she spoke up once more, her mouth twisted into a frown.

"A less risky choice would be to intercept the message, before it gets to Danzo - _sama,_ and send a fake one in it's place. A possible problem, however, is that Danzo - _sama,_ will become suspicious or see through the message."

Humming, Hiruzen paused to sighed, before placing both of his hands onto his face. "I will talk with Shikaku about this development. As for you, please, keep your eyes and ears out and report directly to me, if their is a problem."

"Actually..."

"Yes?"

Hesitating, she began to talk, once more. "Danzo - _sama,_ is already wondering why I am leaving the headquarters so often, what shall I tell him?"

"Nothing for now. However, if Danzo becomes suspicious, tell him that you're substituting for Nara Suzukuon a few B - class missions; just until his foot gets better."

"Understood. Shall I leave now?" Sai asked, watching as the older man gave her a small smile.

"Yes. You are dismissed."

The black haired girl, was gone, before he could finish his weary lined, sentence.

Walking outside, with the night crisp and dark, hiding her in the shadows, the young girl sighed harshly. Placing a hand towards her throbbing head, she weighed out her pros and her cons, before opting to take the long way back to the bunks; in hopes to sort things out. With her inner voice unusually silent, the six and a half year old frowned as she tried to make sense of what was to come.

She really did hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in this case, it was needed.

The truth had to be unveiled, before the lies tore through them all and if she had to be the one to unveil it, so be it.

Even if she destroyed herself, in the process.

 **...**

 **...**

 _ **"The truth does hurt,**_

 _ **but it doesn't kill.**_

 _ **Lies may please,**_

 _ **but they don't heal."**_

 _ **\- unknown.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

"Hatake, spar with me." It wasn't a question.

Peering at the purple haired Tokubetsu _Jonin,_ Kakashi resisted the urge to groan and do what he did to Gai, ignore her. However, he knew that even if attempted to do that, he would be fucked three times backwards.

And not in a good way.

"What?" He asked, his mind puzzling over the sentence, confused.

"Did I fucking stutter?" A seventeen year old Mitarashi Anko asked, her hands placed firmly onto her barely clothed waist. "'Cause I don't think I did."

Gulping quickly, the sixteen year old _Jonin_ went to reassure her. "Maa, maa. It's not that, I was just surprised of your request. What brought it up, Mitarashi - _san?"_

Rolling her eyes, the teenager responded, her tone harsh. "No shit. As much as I hate to admit it, you're good Hatake, better than good. Besides, I need a sparring partner that'll make me think on my feet; how many god damn times have a I told you to call me Anko? Mitarashi - _san,_ makes me sound like a fucking old lady." The purple haired woman scowled at the last part.

Chuckling slightly, with his eyes crinkling slightly, the young man shook his head; wondering how some people really didn't seem to change. "And what's in it for me?" Kakashi asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, his face gaining a nonchalant expression.

"Do you really want to find out?" Anko asked, her grin turning into a full blown sadistic smirk; the loose ends of her jacket swaying around her body, uselessly.

Shuddering inside, the silver haired teenager groaned. "Fine, but you owe me a drink."

"Of course." The woman purred, her smirk turning into a large toothy smile; her fishnet and jacket, covered chest heaving at every step she took and every bounce she made. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

 **...**

Wincing as he walked back to his house, Kakashi shifted his weight onto his left leg, as his right was partially burnt from the **_Katon: Karyūdan_** that the other girl had used. In fact, if he hadn't noticed her handseals with his _Sharingan,_ there would've been no way that he could've gotten his _**Suiton: Suijinheki,**_ up in time. He had just barely done it, although, his right side had dealt with some of the flames - god that female had fast hands signs.

Should he go to the hospital...what type of question was that? Fuck no. The hospital was a black hole, where only the evilest of people resided in. Besides, it always smelt bad and the medic - nins took forever to heal him and send home. Also, the mere look of the hospital caused memories, ones which he didn't want to visit - ever.

But damn, his legs hurt like a bitch.

Maybe he was a masochist, cause he liked it - not the pain itself (he wasn't crazy) but rather, the feeling of being bested. The adrenaline rush had given a pulse of freedom and energy; something which he had been missing for sometime. He had to admit, he hadn't expected to be kept on guard throughout the entire time, but it was really a pleasant surprise.

It had been a while, since the silver haired _Jonin_ had sparred with anyone, but really, that match was one of the finest that he'd had ever. Of course, it was to be expected, after all, Mitarashi Anko had earned her promotion, with blood, sweat and pain. A hell lot of pain. Kakashi had to admit, he'd put that fight up there with the spars he had with Asuma - and that was saying something, considering the fact that every thing he did, was countered, from the teenage Sarutobi. Not to mention, he never knew when he was being p;ayed like a fool, from the slightly older _Jonin._ The only time he had it worse, was with Gai, but really, what could you expect, that man's stamina had no fucking bounds. It was like fighting a monkey with a bad fashion sense.

With a sigh escaping his covered lips, the teenager shook his head once more and reached the steps of his front door. Cracking his knuckles the young man wondered if he could procrastinate going home for a bit longer, before shaking his head of such thoughts and making up his mind. Reaching out, he pulled open the door, and stuck his head inside, just to greeted by the blank emptiness. Exhaling harshly, his visible eyes twitching, he slammed the door shut, just as the sounds of emptiness echoed around his room. The sixteen year old, only walked a few steps, before collapsing onto the nearby couch, his muscles straining and breaths coming out choppy.

He hated going home.

It was when the loneliness hit him the hardest.

 **...**

 **...**

 _ **"I'm fine.**_  
 _I'm not please help me._

 _ **I'm just tired**_  
 _I can't take this anymore._

 _ **Go away.**_  
 _Please stay._

 _ **I'm just cold.**_  
 _I don't want them to see my scars._

 _ **I'm better I promise.**_  
 _I've never been this bad._

 _ **I'm okay.**_  
 _I'm not._

 _ **I'm great!**_

 _I'm falling apart, as I speak."_

 _ **\- unknown**_

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

Shizune sighed, as she watched her teacher slam another bottle of whiskey down, onto the table of the bar, causing the wood to crack underneath her fist. As the elders womans eyes narrowed slightly, and her hand fisted in anger, the brunette found herself wincing, from what she knew would come next.

Tsunade - _sama_ really did have a short fuse of temper.

"Get me another one!" The blonde shrieked, her hair entering the vision of her hazel eyes and framing the cheeks of her flushed and pink face.

"R - Right away ma'am," The bartender managed to stutter out, his face paling rapidly.

Shizune didn't blame him and in fact, she rather felt bad for the man that had to be at the receiving end, of Tsunade - _sama's_ wrath. Tucking her hair, which had fallen, in front of her face, the thirteen year old placed her hands in her lap and wrinkled her nose, at the foul smell that surrounded her.

 _'Really?'_ She thought, as she stared into the tipsy face, of her teacher. _'Who brings a thirteen year old into a bar?'_

Then again, she was a _chunin,_ so technically, she was allowed to be in the rotten area. After all, if she could kill, she could drink. Or so, Tsunade - _sama,_ said. Sighing once more, the brunette peered around at the drunken laughter of another set of men, who were ogling her teacher. Really, it was getting annoying about how many times, they had tried to pick her up. Didn't they understand yet, that she would beat them up? Not to mention, for some of the teenagers, Tsunade - _sama_ was old enough to be their kaa - _san._

It was revolting and disgusting.

Shizune hated it. In fact, she hated all of her teachers habits.

The gambling, the drinking, the excessive spending; the young teenager wondered when she was going to stop. The brunette knew that Tsunade - _sama_ was hurting, and so was she. However, it didn't excuse the fact that the slug sannin was running away.

Exactly, like coward.

Some days she wanted to yell at the older woman and ask her why? Why was she doing this? Why was she acting out, the opposite of what she had been brought up on? Why was she wasting her life away? Why was she such a coward?

However, it wouldn't be long before she started to feel guilty for evening thinking up those questions. Yes, her teacher wasn't the best person in the world, but it didn't matter, she was still human and did care for the younger girl - in her own way. The death of both her younger brother and lover had hit her hard, and she'd been two choices. The first one was to stand up again, and the second was to run.

She'd chosen the second option.

The brunette couldn't blame her for it, after all, it was a natural reaction to pain and suffering - running away from it. Besides, her mentor had taken her alongside of her journey outside of Konoha; Shizune didn't know why. Sure she asked her to, and had gotten down onto her knees to plead, however, she really didn't expect to be listened to and accepted.

Maybe it was because Tsunade - _sama,_ felt guilty, after Dan - _oji's_ death.

Who knew, what she was thinking?

The thirteen year old often wondered, what would've happened to her if Tsunade - _sama,_ hadn't taken her in. She would've probably been left to rot in one of the many orphanages, which littered, the red district, of Konoha. Shuddering slighly at the thoughts, a wave of thankfulness washed over her, as the pungent smells of the bar faded into a background scent. Slowly, she clasped her hands together and prayed once more, eternally happy to have been taken in by her teacher; no matter how awful her habits were.

 ** _After all, Tsunade - sama, gave her the one thing she was always missing-_**

"Hey Shizune."

Snapping her eyes open, the _chunin_ tilted her head at the blonde haired, slightly drunk, woman in front of her. Noticing the splintered bar counter top, the young girl sighed before shaking her head. It seemed that they'd have to be paying extra, again.

Wrinkling her nose at the smell, she smiled before speaking.

"Tsunade - _sama?"_

Rolling her eyes once, Senju Tsunade patted the younger girl on the head, before giving her an airy(tipsy) smile. "C'mon, we're leaving."

"What about your bets?"

Hesitating, the slug sannin shrugged. "I decided not to make any; the people here are all stupid cheaps!"

"Alright." Shizune agreed, a small smile spreading over her face, and her eyes glinting with amusement. "Let's leave, then."

 ** _-A home._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 _ **"I am at all the places,**_

 _ **where I left,**_

 _ **my heart."**_

 _ **\- unknown**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _In a white room, far, far away from these other dramatic events, was a couple. The door was sealed and the windows shut harshly, still exposing the rustling wind that blew outside, which explained the restlessness in both of their hearts. The air in the room was heavy, as the couple stared at each other, hurtful words still lingering where the silence was now. Yet, the female continued onwards, and with every word she spoke, the male grew more and more anxious, his facing not showing any of the pain and worry his heart was feeling. The blue haired woman smiled, as a single tear rolled down her eyes._

"I am going to die."

"Stop saying that. You don't know that, everything will end up fine." The man raged, his eyes brimming with unlit anger and sorrow.

"When did you start lying to yourself? Lying to me? Nevertheless, I will tell you and I will tell you now, that I am going to die." The woman spoke softly, her head held up with air of regalness, even as she smiled knowingly towards the man - who was her husband. "Call it intuition."

"The medics said that you have a-"

"A _35%_ percent chance of living, yes I am aware of that." The woman smoothly cut off, her violet orbs glowing with morbid amusement. "However, you must be aware that, that number is useless, until it comes time for the delivery. It will be then, when I shall leave."

A silence descended on them, as the man's shoulders dropped and his eyes closed, hard.

"Wh..Why, are you okay with this?" He finally asked, his hand resting on his face.

"I'm not." The lady said, quite as easily. "I'm mad too, you know. I won't be able to see either of my darlings grow up."

"Then..."

Sighing, the blue haired woman placed a single hand onto her stomach. "I would do anything, for my baby."

"You can't leave me."

The woman smiled sadly, and beckoned for her husband to come closer. When he did, she motioned for him to bend down, before placing an arm around the back of his neck and resting her head upon his own. "I won't, I'll be right alongside of you every step of the way."

"I love you."

"I love you too...just promise me something."

"Anything." The man said immediately, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"Promise me," She coughed once, specks of blood coming out of her mouth and splattering onto her skin; the crimson in contrast with the paleness of it. Taking his hand, she placed it on her enlarged stomach. "That you'll take care of our children."

With his face softening, a single tear dripped down the mans face as he kissed her, softly. With their lips molding together, and the promise of love and acceptance passed to each other, he spoke, his eyes meeting her own crying ones.

"I promise."

 **...**

 **...**

 _ **"Good people are like candles,**_

 _ **they burn themselves up,**_

 _ **just to give others,**_

 _ **light."**_

 _ **\- unknown**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 **Hey guys, I hope you liked this newest chapter! As for the length of it, expect the rest of them to be around this, in words and size. It's only for the purpose to get more chapters done in a shorter amount of time; although I might make longer ones as the plot starts to thicken. So what did you'll think? Send some criticisms or suggestions if you wish, after all, it really helps get my brain spinning with new ideas.**

 **Sorry about the kiss by the way, i'm not really certain about how to write scenes such as that...oh well, with practice comes perfection, so i'll keep trying.**

 **By the way, i've gotten really obsessed over a new manga called _'Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!'_ Would anyone be interested in reading a fanfiction, where instead of Lambo, Hinata was the lightning guardian? If you are, please tell me, because I kind of want to write that. Even though I haven't finished the entire mange yet...meh. Who cares, i'll read as I go along.**

 **That's all for now~!**

 _ **Ja ne**_

 **\- Titania of Fairies**


	15. CH 15 The Hyuga Affair Arc Part I

**Hi guys~! How are you doing - I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

Hinata was one, when she heard the disgust in the tone, that the Branch family used, when they talked about the Main.

Every day, when she walked around (albeit shaky) she wondered, why they seemed so placid when the elders or other 'V.I.P' _(what that meant, the bluenette didn't know. It was just some phrase that was passed around),_ roamed around their tiny houses. That happened rarely however, seeing that both of the different families lived in different areas. Why? Hinata didn't know, and yet, didn't dare ask. There where somethings, that you just didn't mention, in the Hyuga Clan. The fragile - fearful even _(why they had to be fearful, the young girl didn't know.),_ expressions on their faces dissipated the moment they were gone, and all that replaced them, were cold scornful sneers. Hinata found herself to be confused. She often wondered, why they were so hostile to each other; and yet, so calm, later on. ( _After all, they were family right?_

 _Right?)_

That was when Hinata first learnt about masks.

...

When Hinata was two, she learned how to throw a _kunai._

Mind you, it wasn't a really a real one and even then, she wasn't good at; her nubby little hands had barely grasped the handle of the plastic knife, before it slipped out. When she was asked to demonstrate her skills at it, in her nervousness, she almost punctured the expensive painting that was hung upon the door, behind the target. The elders had not been pleased - however, Hizashi - _sama_ had placated them, stating that it wasn't really a useful skill for a Hyuga, to throw weapons. Yet, they still weren't satisfied.

That was when Hinata had first learnt about expectations.

...

When Hinata was two and a quarter years old, it was her first time, sparring with another kid.

It was against a boy who was five years old - two and three fourths years older than her. Yet, as he stared her down on the tatami mat that they stood on, it didn't seem like he cared about the age difference that lay between them. As every hit he gave her, increased in strength and speed, and yet, Hinata had matched it, with her own rhythm, her eyes glinting with joy of being _free._ However, as she went to end the match, her palm rising to be above his heart, she paused, just for a quick second, the air around her growing uneasy. The bitter feeling of vile anger came back to her, burning her throat as it rushed up her body. It wasn't like her, to hurt someone. Would she, would she really become somebody else - just for her clan? The hesitation, caused her to lose end, as it barely was a second, before the boy flipped her around and pinned her to the ground; screaming yield as he did so.

So she did.

The atmosphere had then been heavy, her shoulders sinking as the disapproving looks came from the grown ups that surrounded her. Her eyes had stung briefly, as the distant emotion of anger settled into a thump on her spine. Was she not enough for them? Was who she was, being held upon a simple loss?

It was only later, when she stared into the night sky, the stars twinkling at her, that those emotions vanished, leaving her with an odd sense of contentedness and solitude. It was only then, when she realized how alone she was in this world. Old feelings of warmth rose up in her, as a breathy sigh escaped her lips. This, this was her - and she wouldn't pretend to be otherwise.

A loss, had never been so satisfying before.

That was when Hinata learnt about humility and persistence.

And that you can't have one without the other.

...

When Hinata was two and a half years old, she met a boy named Neji.

No, he wasn't Neji - _sama,_ yet. At least, not to her, he wasn't. She might've had to call him by that name, however, to her, their was no difference between the two of them; they were just two young souls, surrounded in a world full of pessimists. While she might've been wary in the beginning, that soon melted away, as her tentative glances, turned to booming laughter. She felt...happy, and safe, her eyes crinkling softly in joy. A warm, feeling was with her, whenever she was around him. The fact that he called her _imouto_ was only an added fact that he felt the same; and in her head, she called him nii - _san._ (The elders would have a fit, if they found out - thankfully, they never would).

She was his sister, and he was her brother.

It was that day, that Hinata learned about the word, goals.

And that, together, the two of them would change the clan, for the better.

At least, that was what they'd thought.

...

When Hinata was three years old, she found out her kaa - _san,_ was pregnant with a baby.

A baby.

She couldn't stop smiling for days after that, her eyes lighting up with joy if anyone mentioned it. Oh god, a real living human being, someone who she could love and laugh with. The bluenette wondered what she would teach, her younger sibling, lessons of writing popping into her head, at random moments. Often, she would find herself daydreaming about a life with him/her. After all, they would be, someone who she could protect and cherish with all of her might. The young girl giggled when she thought of all the conversations that the two of them would have together; all of the secrets that they would share.

Her heart ached from joy.

However, days turned to weeks, and still, their was no sign of the baby coming. Hinata waited and waited, her eyes furrowing, when her kaa - _sans_ stomach grew wider, in size. Did she eat the baby, or something? Her question came out silently and worriedly, and her kaa - _san,_ laughed every so softly, her eyes shining with amusement. Then, she explained that her little sibling would come out soon, and that, the bluenette only had to wait for a few more months.

She pouted, before sighing and shaking her head. Whatever, in the end, she would be getting a sibling.

A sibling! Oh she could cry from joy.

It was that day, that Hinata learned about hope and patience - and that, both, reaped great prizes.

...

When Hinata was three and a half years old, she was marked.

During the process itself she had been furious and angry, the rage exploding out of her mouth, as she screamed in disgust - and pain, so much pain. The young girl hadn't understood, why, why did they hurt her? Why did they cage her? Weren't they family? Was it because she was weak, but family shouldn't care about that. Family was supposed to love each other, family was supposed to cherish each other, so why didn't they?

Why didn't they?

When she woke up, all her feelings had been clawed from her; tears stuck in the far crevices in the back of her mind. She had felt numb, almost like a empty body - with a broken heart. It was only after her kaa - _sans_ issue that she had woken up, her eyes glaring with unfiltered exhaustion. Her life, she finally thought, was a puppet, in the hands of the puppet master.

Now she finally realized, why the Branch hated the Main and she was ashamed, to understand that in some way, she did too. So this, this eternal _hatred,_ was what made her different from Neji - _sama._

After that day, it seemed that the honorific had more weight.

It was only then, that Hinata learnt about the word fate.

She really wanted to stab whoever made it, in the back.

._._._._._._._._._._._._.

...

...

...

The silence shocked her, as she stared at the brown haired Hyuga in front of her, her brilliant lavender orbs shining in confusion and hidden hesitation.

"Excuse me, K - Ko - _san?"_ She asked, her voice shaking from disbelief - hoping, praying that she had misheard him. "Could you p - please, repeat that? I couldn't hear you."

The young teenager, seemed to be pausing in his words, his face turning into a winced expression. Slowly, he cracked his neck, before trying to raise his shoulders. Hinata wondered, what he was so worried about, after all, she wasn't very scary, to look at, or talk to. At least, she hoped she wasn't.

" _Ano."_ The young man started out, his eyes scrunching together tightly. "The elders have asked for you. They say that you are to arrive at the middle section training dojo in twenty minutes."

The added pressure, caused her shoulders to droop as she stared up at the older Hyuga boy, and nodded hesitantly. "I see. T - thank you for warnin- telling me, Ko - _san."_

"That's alright," The boy said, finally looking her in the eyes, his mouth set into a frown. "Just...be careful alright?" He finally said, causing her to shake her head, and smile ever so slightly.

She should've known, after all, while he might've had some sort of problem with her, he still did care. The Branch family always took care of each other; they were all they had left.

"I will be."

Waiting until the _chunin_ exited the room, Hinata banged her face onto the side of the wall, her eyes watering in anger, and slightly annoyance. Clenching her fists shut, she bit her lip and seethed inwardly, her hair falling across her face in an angry ponytail. She should've known, the elders wouldn't forget little her forever, - her situation, wouldn't let them. As daughter of the head of the Branch family, her head was always watched, in terms of seeing whether or not she would cross the line and rebel against them.

It didn't happen often, however, there were still those doubts.

Biting on her lip, the younger girl resisted the urge to cry and clasped her hands together, pushing her index fingers against one another; a nervous trait which she had acquired. Hinata still remembered that night, the cold sounds of Hikaru - _sama's_ voice whispering to her, in her sleep. Snapping her mind out of focus, the bluenette wiped the sweat that had begun to form on her skin, as her hands began to tremble ever so slightly. Gulping, she straightened her back - vaguely wondering if this is what it felt like to have the world on your shoulders - before clearing her throat and stepping out the door, her eyes making sure to stay upright.

...

The meeting begun, everyone staring her down, the pressure sinking onto her shoulders like a metal ball.

She didn't budge.

Hinata wasn't where she wanted to be, that much was true. Her stutter was still residing in her tone, and her shyness was peeking out of her body, masking her true thoughts. Her eyes occasionally flickered lowered, her posture dropping in a submissive slouch; causing her to have to fix it. Her hands still poked together tighter and trembled, showing a momentary glance of vulnerability. No, Hinata certainly wasn't where she wanted to be.

But she was getting there.

...

 **...**

 _ **"If this is**_ **IT** _ **, then i'm ready.**_

 _ **I'm dark matter.**_

 _ **The universe inside me,**_

 _ **is full of something,**_

 _ **and science can't even,**_

 _ **shine a light on it."**_

 _ **\- unknown.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

...

...

Frowning slightly at the book covers, that lay in front of him, Naruto sighed as another day turned out to be unresponsive. Day upon day had passed by, and still, the blonde hadn't found out exactly what the hell, _Uzushiogakure,_ actually meant. Their wasn't a speck of evidence in the library, or even in the personal library of the Uchiha Clan! It was almost like the existence of the word had been wiped out of the shelves. What was worse, was that Kurama refused to talk to him, stating that it was his job and his job alone.

"Shoot." He muttered, before staring at the large brown that lay open in front of him.

Blowing on the page, he coughed as the air around him became covered with dust and dirt. Honestly, how old was this book? Looking up, he peered at the width of the library, his nose wrinkling at the dimly lit room he was sitting in. Really, he also had to wonder how old this library actually was, considering the fact of the slight musky smell that lingered in the air.

Old enough, if the peeling covers of some of the books said so.

Sighing, he checked the clock on the wall, before shaking his head and returning towards his work, his brows knitting tighter, while he tried to decipher the meaning of the paragraph. Now, he might've been smart, however, some of the stuff in the book was preposterous! Honestly, what did sesquipedalian, mean anyways? Shaking his head, he shut the book, before sneaking out of the library, his heart heavy and mind unsettled.

Well, it seemed that it was another fruitless day.

...

...

For days, Suzaku had watched, as the young Uchiha had snuck into the library, sometimes staying for hours on end, before disappearing, a scowl always placed on his usually joyful face. The teenage Nara had to wonder, what exactly the four year old was looking for, in order to make him so on edge. It didn't help that with every passing day, the blonde seemed to be more and more frustrated. So when his curiosity got the best of him, he went and checked the object of the younger boys attention.

As he read through the titles of the books, the man couldn't help, but become confused. Why in the world, was a four year old, reading about the hidden villages? Also, he was technically a clan kid, wasn't he? So couldn't he just ask his parents? The _chunin_ was sure, that Uchiha - _sama,_ would be glad to answer his questions, as it was obvious that she loved him very much.

Intriguing, that was what he would call it. The man would've explored more, had it not been for the that he was much too exhausted for doing something that large in a scale. However, he had to give the boy some credit, whatever he was searching for, must've been big enough that he sacrificed his spare time for it. Not to mention, his drive was incredible, as reading books hours and hours, upon end, wasn't something everyone could do.

And for that, he could respect him.

So it wasn't any surprise to himself, when he looked at the higher area of the shelves and took out a series of four good books, that would help the boy. Nor, was it any shock, that he also included the founding of Konoha into that selection. The next day, he kept one of his eyes open, and let a smile creep over his face, when he saw the boy leaping in silence, with joy, of the new selection of books on the table he usually sat on. Suzaku also resisted the urge to laugh, at the confusion that the Uzumaki clearly expressed on his face. It lasted for the measure of five seconds, before Naruto had dived into the books head first, his face set in determination.

The _chunin_ sighed, before shaking his head. That persistence, would either carry the boy farther than anyone else, or, it would make him break, in the most painful ways one could ever imagine.

Then again, wasn't that the same, for all _shinobi?_

...

...

 ** _"You have two hands._**

 ** _One, to help yourself._**

 ** _The second, to help others."_**

 ** _\- unknown_**

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

"How have you been?" Her kaa - sans' voice radiated off of the dull, white walls of the hospital, as her light violet eyes regarded the younger girl in worry and love. "The elders, haven't been too hard on you, have they?"

Hinata wondered, in awe, of how someone, who was obviously in such a weak and tired state, was still able to speak in such an assertiveness and calm tone. She certainly couldn't do it herself, and her tou - san, wasn't able to perfect it either.

"I'm fine, and no, the elders are not that hard on me." The three year old answered back, inwardly cheering at the lack of her stutter - even though her tone was softer than she would've liked. Although it was shocking, as while it was less common then before, she did tend to break into the old habit. Maybe it was because of her kaa - san, that stopped her from doing so - as she was the only person, she felt completely at peace with.

"Good, that's good," Himana replied, as she moved one of her hands, to smooth over the crinkle that was above her daughters eyebrow. Hinata could feel how it trembled, as it was layed upon her face, cupping her cheek tenderly.

Unable to resist, the indigo haired girl grabbed the shaking fingers, before leading the larger hand, into her two smaller ones. From there, she entwined all three of them together, becoming lost in the haunting thoughts that overwhelmed her. Her head sunk lower as she frowned, remembering the previous events that had happened during the last week. She had spent an entire hour, sitting in the living room, and hearing about how all of her faults submerged into one another. Really, didn't the elders have more important things to do with their time? No, all they wanted to do, was make her cry. After all, nobody really cared for what poor little Hinata though, did they? All they did was break her dow-

A hand clasped against her chin, and her face was forced up, her own lavender eyes, meeting the firm ones, of her kaa - san. Himana's eyes shined with an unknown emotion, and the bluenette couldn't help, as her breath stuck in her throat, and her mouth shifted into a wide O. What was going o-?

"Never lower your head, Hinata."

Swallowing almost harshly, the young girl blinked back the confusion that entered her eyes, as her kaa - san, continued to hold her gaze, the light violet shade of them glowing slightly, as Hinata began to fidget. She didn't understand, why was her kaa - san saying this? What was she trying to get to-?

"Do you understand?" It seemed that she was always being interrupted.

" _H - hai!_ " She managed to stutter out, relaxing as Himana's stern gaze, was replaced with a kind one.

"You may not understand why I am telling you this now." Her kaa - san began, leaning back to accommodate her enlarged stomach.

"Is it - is it, because I am a H - Hyuga?" Hinata asked, after catching her breath, and her tone managing to returning to her voice.

"No." Her kaa - san said simply, her nose wrinkling at the very thought. "It is because, you are a girl - who mind you, will one day, become a woman."

The younger females eyes widened, as Himana continued. "Do you ever wonder, why the Hyuga clan stays so strong? Even after all of the horrible laws, that it holds? No, I wouldn't expect you to. However their is one thing, that you should know." At this, her kaa - san replaced her hand, onto her cheek once more. "It is because of us woman Hinata. Many think that the men are the superior race, however, it is only because of us, that they are able to stand for so long. Be sure to remember that."

"I - I will." She murmured, leaning into the soft touch. "I - I'll make sure to make you and the Hyuga proud."

"No." Was the response directly after her sentence, and the bluenette found herself staring at her kaa - san once more, her eyes hiding her hurt. "Make yourself proud, Hinata."

Her breath inhaled sharply, and she found that she could longer speak, as Himana leaned forwards, in order to press a chaste kiss against her uncovered forehead. Slowly, she tilted her head, so that their foreheads were touching, causing Hinata to widen her eyes, at such a statement. For a Hyuga to allow someone to touch their forehead - that was like writing a blood oath. Her kaa - _san_ knew this, she knew what she was telling her to do.

"I love you. Remember that, please." The older woman pleaded, gasping the inky thread of her hair, and running a hand through the tethered locks; her eyes began to gleam, as water formed on the tops of them.

"I love you too," She whispered back, her mind racing at this sudden change of topic. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, as her kaa - san leaned back into her place, her hands going to rest on her swollen belly, as she winced slightly in pain. Almost mechanically, concern washed away all of the three year olds other emotions, causing her to fluff up her pillow, immediately.

"Good."

A silence descended on them, and it was only minutes later that Hinata spoke up once more, her voice tinged in worry, and utter uncertainty. "Kaa - san," _What's going on?_ At the last second, she lost her courage, and instead asked, "Are you alright?"

Himana glossy, unfocused eyes greeted her, as one of the older womans hands, curled around her pregnant stomach. Awry smile pulled at her lips, as her nose crinkled, in either sorrow or wonder - of what, Hinata didn't know. Finally, she seemed to snap out of it, and turned to face her daughter, her violet orbs radiating in melancholy.

"Of course I am. I have to be."

...

...

 **...**

 _ **"I wanted to ask her how,**_

 _ **something could be so ugly and so glorious,**_

 _ **and it's words and stories,**_

 _ **so damming and yet,**_

 _ **brilliant."**_

 _ **\- The Book Thief**_

 _ **...**_

...

...

 _December 21st (Time: 0900)_

Hinata stood in front of the tree once more, her eyes scanning every crook of the object in front of her, calmly wondering, of how she would go on about this. Wrapping her hands around the jacket which she was wearing, she let out a puff of breath, watching as it appeared in the cold air. The snow around her, did nothing to help her thoughts, as the sight was quite eerie and distracting. It had been a few days, since she had last attempted the technique, however, her hopes for fast progress were slowly being pushed back by reality. The only way that she would get strong, was with patience and hard earned will power.

She could do that, but by _gods-_ it was frustrating.

Slowly, she summoned the blue streaks towards her hands(it was _not_ _chakra,_ and Hinata wouldn't call it something, it wasn't) waiting, until her palms and fingers began to tingle, from the soothing, and yet, cold feeling that reached them. Placing her right hand onto the tree, she waited until it attached onto the stump, before starting to do the same to her legs, and freezing.

It was like a whirlpool, it rushed and whirled inside of the trunk, racing upwards towards the top of the branches, spreading growing, _moving_ faster than she had ever seen - no, felt. The chill of it called to her, spreading over her limbs, and coating her inner mind with glee.

The bluenette blinked and sharply took a step back, her eyes in awe of what had just happened. Had she - had she just felt the _chakra_ in the tree? No, that wasn't right, she told herself, once her heart had stopped racing at her newest discovery. _Chakra,_ was warm or comforting - however, _that_ felt grounding or even-

Cold. Powerful.

It had felt like her energy.

Well not exactly like it, however, it did seem the same.

The breath taking discovery, forced her to inhale deeply, as her mind was running far too fast in order for her body to start to comprehend.

 ** _'So let's see...'_** She begun, mulling over the events in her head. _**'I coat my hand in the...sustenance, for a lack of better words, therefore allowing my palm to stick onto the tree. However, it seems that not only do**_ **I _have this skill, but rather, other living objects do as well.'_**

Frowning, she shook her head, backtracking in the process. **_'No, both of them are much different. Where as it's is soothing and seems to be going in a cycle, mine is-'_**

Turbulent. Unstoppable.

Dangerous.

She shivered. That was a flop. _**'Okay so not similar - not at**_ **all _similar, but really, they both do have a lot in common. I just need to figure out what that is.'_**

Fair enough, at least, she had a goal now.

A familiar _chakra_ sense clouded her mind, and Hinata found herself smiling at who it represented. It seemed that her questioning, had to be put off for another day - for she was sure that her cousin wouldn't let her be by herself. While he called it moping, she liked to use the term, productivity, but then again, it really could've been accounted for both - not that she would ever admit that, it would be like surrendering.

"Hey _imouto!_ What're you doing?" Chibi Neji asked, a wide grin placed on his face.

Hiding her small grin, with a low bow, she answered, pretending to ignore the confused expression on the heir's face. "I am merely practicing my training, N - Neji - _sama._ How are y - you?"

Watching, as he answered her deflected question, Hinata shook her head, in a sort of fond amusement. "I'm great! Tou - _san,_ recently got me started on the Gentle Fist, it's really cool!"

Cool, wasn't really the word that Hinata would expect one to say, when using the Hyuga's prized _jutsu._ However, it was a step up from learning regular fighting forms. Not to mention, it was the general skill that every active Hyuga member held. Hinata frowned. So it seemed that it was settled, as now Neji - _sama_ would have to become a _shinobi_ , but really, it was what she expected. After all, he was the _heir_ to the clan, and was known as the upcoming Hyuga prodigy. That is, if what the elders said was correct, and to be honest, the bluenette, didn't doubt them.

No, she wasn't jealous! What a preposterous idea. She was merely annoyed that she hadn't been strong enough in order to be taught the _jutsu._ Her seal pulsed once, and Hinata held back a wince. She always did hate that whenever she thought of her downfalls, it shook her once, reminding her about it's existence.

She took in a deep breath. **_'S_** ** _low and steady wins the race'_** , the bluenette thought to herself, as it wasn't wise to rush into uncharted territory.

"I c - can see that. Is it h - hard?" She asked, curiously, trying to chart information away for later, when she was able to use it.

"Well, slightly." The young boy started out, abashed. "But I am getting better at it. Tou - _san_ says that I just have to snap my limbs a bit more, when I hit the target, or else my arms will absorb the shock."

"Hmm...t - that would be harsh."

"What do you mean?" Neji asked, wondering what was going on, in his sisters mind.

"W - Well..." Hinata said, snapping back into attention, a light blush coating her cheeks. "When you hit something h - hard, per say, the human body, if your m - muscles don't snap back fast enough, then it's o - obvious that the p - pain waves will travel up your arm; therefore resulting in a harder impact."

"Really?" The older Hyuga asked, accepting her spewing facts as a truth - although technically, they kind of were. "Then I better start practicing even harder. Or else, it'll start to hurt - well, even more than it already does."

"Is it really that b - bad?" The female Hyuga asked, slightly curious about the skill - and worried about her cosuin.

Neji grimaced, his usually cheery face, drawing into a frown. "Yeah, but only when i'm with the elders. Tou - _san,_ makes it a bit better, but most of the time he can't really attend." At this, the young boy seemed to be a bit more saddened. "He always seems to be busy nowadays."

Hinata comforted her cousin - at a respectable distance, of course - before frowning, and shaking her head at his last sentence. "T - That's true, m - most of the _shinobi_ in the village seem to busy these last few days."

At her cousins' sheepish grin, Hinata tilted her head and sharpened her eyes. "Y - You know something, don't you?"

"I do." The brown haired Hyuga said, a mock serious look on his face. "Technically, i'm not supposed to tell you... _but_ you are my _imouto,_ I think that's an exception I can make!"

 _Oh_. The breath escaped her lungs, as the bluenette found herself staring at her cousin, her body wondering how such a prodigy, could somehow be an idiot. It was only moments like these, when she realized that she was the only one aware of the secret, and that he was still an outsider. Didn't he realize that they were different, didn't he know why she had to bow to him? Didn't he- No, he didn't know and while it might've been shameful, Hinata was glad that he didn't. Neji - _sama,_ was so pure, so utterly pure - something which she wished would never changed with him.

"Well! Guess?" The young boy asked, peering forwards eagerly.

"Hm. Could it be some f - festival is happening, or is it H - Hokage - _sama's_ birthday?" The young girl answered, curiously - however, she was only slightly confused when the boy bopped her on the nose and grinned.

"Nope! Guess again."

Pouting, ever so slightly, the girl replied, her cheeks blushing a light rose. "N - Neji - _sama,_ stop t - teasing me."

" _Fine."_ The five year old replied, melodramatically. "You know about _Kumo_ right?"

"Of course I do. _K - Kumogakure_ , the Hidden C - Cloud Village. What's that got to do, with a - anything?"

"Both _Konoha_ and _Kumo_ were at war with each other-"

"N - No," Hinata interrupted, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "I - I thought that we just don't get along - what war?"

"Well...that's true. You're right, there is no war _now_ , but their used to be one - anyways, going back to what I was saying, apparently, a few delegates from _Kumo_ are coming to _Konoha._ " The young heir said, frowning thoughtfully.

"What? W - Why?" Hinata asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I don't really, know, however, it really is putting all of the elders on edge."

"I can guess." The young girl muttered, before smiling at her cousin, pushing the conversation out of her mind. "Anyways, what were you doing these last few days? I heard Hikari - _sama,_ took you out, yesterday."

"Yeah, kaa - _san,_ and I went to..."

And so the pair spent the rest of their evening lying underneath the tree and talking their hearts away, each laughter echoing in the crystal clear sky. Every second added up to a day, and every tear was replaced by a smile - and yet, it was almost written in the sand, that things would change.

Oh yes, things would certainly change - and not, for the better.

...

...

 **...**

 _ **"In the darkest of woods,**_

 _ **a weeping willow cries.**_

 _ **Over not what she gained,**_

 _ **but rather,**_

 _ **of what she lost."**_

 _ **\- unknown**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 **Hey guys! How did you enjoy the chapter? Sorry for the late updates, but to be honest, i'll probably be updating once every two - three weeks for now. The reason for this, is because school really is grating on my nerves. Oh well, it is what it is. If you have any criticisms, then please tell me, as it is extremely constructive towards my writing.**

 _ **Ja ne,**_ **for now.**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**


	16. CH 16 The Hyuga Affair II

**Hey y'all...this is late. I've had a severe case of writers block and i've rewritten this chapter over ten times, just for it to sound mildly okay. Pair that up with the fact that I had my play performance all throughout the weekend, and schoolwork, it's been hard to get this out. Please don't hate me much for that.**

 **Shoutouts:**

 **JustIn (Guest): Thank you! It's nice to see that you're enjoying it - and I will enjoy my writing, as I feel that it is the only thing that makes me feel sane sometimes!**

 **Guest: Yes, I must agree that the scene between Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui, did make me laugh. I'm glad to see that other find it enjoyable as well!**

 **\- Titania of Fairies**

 **P.S I finally learnt how to add a line break! Such an accomplishment.**

* * *

 _"Uzushiogakure no Sato, was the shinobi village of the Land of Whirlpools._ _The people of Uzushiogakure were noted to have notoriously long lives, so it gained the epithet "The Village of Longevity" and Its ninja were renowned for their fūinjutsu to the point that it led to its destruction in war. In terms of appearance, the village seemed to have been composed of several high-rise buildings. A wide river seemingly ran through the village and was gaped by large bridges. The surrounding countryside was dominated by steep hills. **(1)"** _

Pausing to think through the sentences, the young blonde found himself even more puzzled by two pairs of words, rather then the entire phrase. While the descriptions were wonderful, and they did cause the Uchiha to want to see them, it was rather the unfamiliar terms which made Naruto hesitate and think. Words such as epithet, dominated, and most importantly _fūinjutsu. Jutsu,_ he understood, but _fūin_ jutsu? What in the world was that?

Shaking his head, the blonde continued onwards, diving back into the page

 _"Uzushiogakure had close ties with Konohagakure, due to Uzushio's Uzumaki clan and Konoha's Senju clan being distant blood relatives- **(2)"**_

It was only then he stopped, the book falling from his hands onto the old table, and his eyes widening in shock. Blinking a few times, the young boy suddenly scrambled from his chair and lunged forwards, grabbing the book once more and pulling it into his hands. Flipping forwards rapidly, he moved to the next chapter his eyes widening on the name of it.

 _'The Uzumaki, being descendants of Asura Ōtsutsuki, also shared distant blood relation with the Senju clan. Throughout the years, the Uzumaki and Senju kept close ties, with members at times marrying between clans, as with Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki. **(3)'**_

The utter stillness of the shock sped over his body, as the spinning in his head went fast and faster, refusing to stop for anything. Naruto could faintly hear the distant sound of his heart beating faster and faster, too fast for his mind to even process. His lungs burned at it was only then, that the blonde realized that he wasn't breathing enough. _'Too late,'_ he thought mournfully, as the familiar shade of black formed behind his pupils. It was only seconds later, when he slumped over the top of the desk, his head hitting the wood painfully.

He had blacked out.

 **...**

 _ **"The only limit to our**_

 _ **realization of tomorrow will**_ _ **be,**_

 _ **our doubts of today."**_

 _ **\- Franklin D. Roosevelt**_

* * *

 ** _(2200 hundred hours, Hyuga Compound)_**

The air was still and the night was calm, as feet swiped across the side of the Hyuga compound. The unknown figure soared across the area, taking no note of the beautiful scenery which surrounded them. Instead, their straight lips resisted the urge to sneer. Black material covered their body, as a white mask covered the area of their neck and face. The darkness of the night, only served to shield them even further - as their body flashed through the air, unseen and unknown by everyone. The eeriness of the silence shifted through their veins, as their nerves tensed up even further, considering the fact that each sound, might've been an obstacle. However, that was soon replaced by the snap of arrogance, that filtered into their brain. _'All seeing eyes my ass_ , _'_ the masked figure smirked; after all, they doubted that the Hyuga even suspected that peace treaty was nothing other then a cover.

Besides, where did those eyes help them, when a set of poison was slipped into their nightly meal? It wasn't lethal, in fact, all it would do was make the rest of them fall into a heavy sleep - making the said persons job easier, but still, it was hilarious that they fell for it. Remembering the task at hand, the assassin slacked their face, going back to the original blank look - it was best if they didn't get hasty and fail. With the map of the Hyuga compound burning into their brain, the said person thought back to the mission status, trying to remember if they had forgotten anything.

 _'Infiltrate the Hyuga compound, and secure the target.'_ That was all that they were given, and yet, they knew it wasn't as small as their leader made it sound like. If it was, then it wouldn't have been labeled as an S - rank mission.

With their nerves slowly simmering upwards, the figure tensed up even further, when they reached their targeted destination. Narrowing their eyes, the person stared at the shadowed - locked - window in front of them, before pulling out a single pin. Honestly, while the traps they had gone through to get to this point were impressive, this was just disappointing. Did the Hyuga really think that they were so powerful enough, that no one would dare be able to enter their house?

How arrogant.

That would be their downfall.

Keeping their mind trained on the small _chakra_ signal which was fluctuating inside of the room, the masked figure unlocked the window, before swinging it open, being careful to make sure the sound was next to zero. Making sure that their _chakra_ was suppressed, they climbed onto the roof of the room, their _chakra_ sticking to the ceiling effortlessly.

The bed was on the opposite side of the room. The unknown figure was so close, that they could hear the labored breathing of the targets' lungs, and they could sense the beating pulse of the heirs' heart. Ignoring the wash of pity that the person felt for the younger boy, the masked figure, tried to keep their emotions neutral, as it would do no good for them to let their feelings get in the way.

A mission was a mission, and no matter what, it had to be fulfilled.

Still, it was sad that an innocent boy had to get involved with their countries ego problems. Reaching down, the person suddenly grabbed the target, making sure to keep him sleeping and unaware. After securing the bundle in his arms, the _shinobi_ walked down the panel tiles of the wall, before landing on the floor, harsher than he expected.

A trap sprung.

From the corner of the room, a object came hurling towards them. Really, a trap like this? Who did they think that it would hit? Annoyed, the person merely stepped to the side, moving the parcel alongside of them - before letting the said object hit the wall.

And then, he instantly realized his mistake.

As the object hit the wall - rock, it looked like a rock? - it made a low, dull vibrating echo which moved throughout the room, falling into the dark corners of the side. The sound of it, was almost like a gong - one which was hit by the a metal bat. It wasn't loud, however, the boy was clearly trained to be cautious, as he began to stir slightly.

"Wha..?" Was all that the target was able to say, before a hand was slammed onto his mouth.

Talking over the whimper that came from the boys mouth, the figure spoke. "If you value your life kid, you best not scream."

"I've killed children before, and I can do it again."

...

"If you value your life kid, you best not scream."

To say Neji was scared, was an underestimate.

He was terrified.

His tou - san had left that night, stating that he'd be fine and safe by himself. His kaa - _san_ had gone out as well, telling him that the meeting wouldn't be long and that he should stop acting like a baby. How could he not? The only person left in the compound was Hinata, him and a few other of the branch members, who had moved closer to the main house, for the night. Not nearly enough, for him to be sated. His heart had felt that something was off, while his mind told himself that everything would be okay, and that he would be fine. He had listened to his mind, and went to sleep, his breath uneven and waiting.

He should've listened to his heart.

 _(He was going to die, wasn't he? He was going to die. Cold, alone and worthless)_

But he didn't, and he would pay for it.

"I've killed children before, and I can do it again."

 _nonononono **nono-**_

As his limbs were frozen in fear, his paralyzed mind could distantly feel the effect of outside _chakra_ seeping into his brain. Slowly, ever so slowly, the boy shut his eyes, while his mind protested against the treacherous act. _'This is wrong,'_ It seemed to whisper. _'_ _They're tricking you, wake up. Wake up!'_ But no matter what he did, he just couldn't.

As his limbs relaxed once more, and exhaustion hit him like a wall of metal, his body went limp in the arms of his enemy.

A fatal mistake.

...

...

The person sighed, as they felt the boy go limp in their arms. Suppressing their rising panic, the _shinobi_ caught their breath, as they moved forwards once more. That was unexpected, and most of all, _unneeded_. Taking in a deep breath, the masked figure paused, as something itched at the back of their mind. Frowning, they shook their head, before tiptoeing forwards, senses alert and eyes dilated - all the while, their body tensed in preparation to fight. The constant pulling at the back of their mind only unnerved them, as gut instinct was an important part of their job. Without it, they would already be dead, lying somewhere in a ditch.

Resisting the urge to scowl, the said person realized the time and cursed inside of their head. It had taken much too long for the package to be secured, in fact, they should've already been out of the compound by now. Pushing away the irritation, the masked person swung open the door, careful to keep the sound to minimum. Stepping out into the darkness, the black clothed figure moved to the exit, turning his back on the left side of the hallway.

That was his first mistake.

The person was only given a seconds notice, as they felt a figure speeding up, towards them. As their breath caught, they jerked to the side, only to narrowly dodge the impending finger that was coming straight towards them. With their leg jerking out, the said person instinctively kicked the other man in the stomach - just in time for them to receive a _Jūken_ to the chest.

 ** _'_** _ **shit** -holy **fuc** -'_

A shattering pain erupted throughout his body, as he distinctly remembered the feeling of the boy being shifted from his hands. As his mouth opened to scream, his eyes moved to the back of his head, as he dropped towards the floor. His brain shuttered a few times, before all of his thoughts stopped - his heart slowing down, and blood stopping to flow throughout his body.

He would die soon, alone and forgotten - all because of the wish of their village.

Just like they all did.

All because, they forgot the number one rule _(although, who remembered it, really?)_

Always, expect the unexpected.

...

...

Hyuga Hiashi wasn't supposed to go back to the compound.

However, he was glad that he did.

By the time the meeting had begun, a strange itch had formed at the back of his mind. The idea of the meeting itself drove him crazy, after all, why did _Kumogakure_ need all of the clan heads to attend the meeting of the peace treaty? After all, usually just the _Hokage_ and his advisers were supposed to attend. This entire thing just seemed fishy to him - couple that with the fact that his daughter was home without either Himana or himself, and he was downright unhappy. Frowning, he had excused himself halfway through the meeting, all while avoiding his brothers curious gaze, and left, muttering about having to receive an important document. It wasn't completely false, as Hikari - _sama_ had left her legal papers at home - something which he said he would bring to her...improvising, it was quite a good skill to have at times like these.

The moment he set foot in the front of the walkway, it only solidified the processes that something was off, not only because of the utter peace that settled around the compound - something which should not have happened, after all, the branch members were supposed to be on watch - but also because of the way that his _Byakugan_ itched at the back of his head.

 _'Something's wrong,'_ He paused, before starting to move forwards.

However, it was only when he felt his nephews chakra flare in unease, and another unknown source appear, did he activate his _Byakugan,_ before letting his worst fear become a reality.

Without a single word escaping his mouth, the man rushed forwards, his eyes narrowing into slits, as his heart begun to pulse quickly. Anger flared in his heart, as his usually unreadable eyes became bathed in fury and worry - how dare someone sneak into his territory and hurt his family.

He would kill them.

Rushing up behind the person, he didn't even hesitate, before moving his finger out, trying to jab at the other persons eyes.

 _'They are fast.'_ He realizes after a second. _'Too fast. I'll have to finish this up quickly.'_

Bringing his arms up, Hiashi waited and watched the enemies movements, before letting the man settle. After holding his breath, his eyes trained on the bundle in the masked figures arms, anger once more flaring up in him - causing his brain to grown numb. Finally, the other man stabled on his feet, before attacking once more, lifting up his leg to do so. The older man neatly moved to the side, in order avoid the impending leg to his face, before sneering.

 _'Fool, don't you know not to engage a Hyuga in a Taijutsu match?'_

Moving like lightning, Hiashi twisted his back, allowing his hair to dance with him, before allowing a shot of his own _chakra_ rush into his arms and placing them into a familiar formation - one he had done so many times before. With his hand, he extended his palm outwards, before _pushing_ both with his physical strength and his _chakra._ Hiashi could feel the other _shinobi's_ blood vessels burst out, due to the pressure and strength of the foreign _chakra_ entering their body. The result was instantaneous - the person froze, allowing the _Jonin_ to place another well aimed hit to the enemies chest, causing them to stagger backwards, and fall on their bottom. Quickly, Hiashi maneuvered himself so that his nephew was safely secured in his arms, before stepping back, allowing the figure to drop to the floor - blood pouring out of their mouth.

Good. If it was anything less, then that would mean that his _Jūken_ would have to be worked on.

Shifting so that the heir was safely placed in his arms, the branch member frowned as he watched the form of the younger boy, the paleness of his skin becoming evident that something was very wrong. Placing his finger - the very same one, which had killed a man just moments prior - towards the boys' neck, Hiashi paused as he felt his nephews pulse. After a few silent moments, he sighed in relief, before resting his hand underneath Neji's neck.

There was a pulse, a very weak one, but nevertheless, a pulse.

Placing his nephew down, the older Hyuga sealed away the dead man in front of him, before placing the scroll in his inner coat pocket. Picking up the heir once more, he turned to move, flying out of the window, into the empty field outside. If his suspicions were right, not only did it mean that the Hyuga were in trouble, but also, Konoha would be.

...

 _ **"We are always paid for our suspicion,**_

 _ **by finding,**_

 ** _what we suspect."_**

 ** _\- unknown_**

* * *

 ** _..._**

The entire village was in an uproar.

Itachi had merely gotten up that morning, - five o'clock, sharp - before he was ushered out of his bed by the masked face of an ANBU; with a tensed Shisui giving him a look, before forcing him out of the house. The boy just had to step out into the streets, before they could partially understand the severity of the situation. Probably due to the fact that the streets were quiet, not a single civilian wandered around - not to mention, _shinobi_ walked from door to door, only furthering the almost eleven years olds suspicion. What was going on?

With his mind soaring, the younger boy sensed the hidden ANBU agent, watching - waiting - for him in the nearby tree. Sharpening his gaze, Itachi saw them incline their head towards him, making him understand that they were there for a reason. Keeping his mouth shut, the young boy refused to ask any questions, as if the older person - a male, in his late teens it seemed - had anything more to say to him, he would've have said it. After all, he was an ANBU - and in their village, sometimes, it was better to know less.

Passing a look over his shoulder the boy narrowed his eyes, before setting off, his body invisible to the human eye - _Shunshin_ really was useful in cases such as this. Moving towards the _Hokage's_ office, the lone Uchiha only had to look at their leaders secretary, before he was being pushed into the hallways, the air instantly becoming heavier. Itachi internally grimaced, as he stared at the door in front of him, his head head filling with internal turmoil.

Confusion gripped him body, and his muscles tensed up - causing him to force himself into a slacked pose. Making his face to go blank, the young boy reached for the door, before knocking a single time. As the sound resonated in the empty hallway, the Uchiha resisted the urge to grimace at how...exposed it made him fell. It made sense, considering the fact that the knock really wasn't needed, after all, his leader probably knew where he was, before he entered the compound. However, it was an act of respect and duty that Itachi felt that he had to give towards the Hokage - after all, it must be hard to take care of an entire village full of people who wanted to tell you everything that you were doing was wrong.

His clan did enough of that to him, and he already felt old - just think of how bad the Hokage felt.

"Come in and close the door behind you, Itachi - kun." A voice echoed out, from behind the magonhy polished wood.

Nodding once, the _chunin_ opened the gleaming door, and closed it behind him. When he turned back around, however, he had to blink twice when he realized that the behind the desk, right near the window, was the same ANBU which had woken him up that morning. Now that he was in the light, the onyx haired Uchiha carefully surveyed the man, his eyes blinking thoughtfully. A pale white mask was placed on his face, red eyes marking were carved around the two holes that were accounted as his eyes, and two swirly stripes where placed underneath them. The strip that decorated his mouth was small, but the indentations helped the younger boy decipher exactly what animal he was.

Suddenly, his instincts perked up, as he felt the familiar activation of a security seal go up outside of the room. The young boy could faintly feel the effects of the security seal become more constant, as the air became darkened and the external _chakra_ pulsed, when it was so close to his own. Ignoring the way how the room seemed to close on him, and how the seemingly flawless act made him jump to attention, the Uchiha cleared his throat. Raising his eyes, Itachi bowed his head once, before speaking, in a low and demur voice.

"Hokage - sama, you called?"

Whatever this call was for, it was important. Itachi could handle important.

The so called 'Professor', nodded once his body posture unreadable, and for the first time since the third war ended, Itachi saw that the kind and grandfatherly look in them fade into something more serious and strict. "That I did. Tell me, Itachi - kun, do you know of the events that occurred last night?"

"The treaty with Kumogakure." The genius said, his eyes gleaming as he took in this piece of information. It seemed that his leader was not in the mood for useless pretenses. That was good, he didn't like them either.

"What happened? I thought that it went well, after all, the delegates aren't here anymore."

The said Hokage, shook his head slowly, his eyes blinking once; causing an unreadable emotion to slip through them, before speaking, his mouth twisting into a frown.

"No." He spoke softly, his voice carrying a heavy load of weariness. The ANBU behind him shifted every so slightly, almost as if they were unsettled by their Hokage showing exhaustion. Itachi couldn't help, but feel that same. After all, while he knew it was childish, one would think that their leader was unstoppable and extremely powerful. He should've remember that even the 'God of _Shiniobi_ ,' was human.

A mistake. It wouldn't happened again.

Itachi merely stayed quiet, as he waited for the older man to capture his thoughts. With his mind spewing with thousands of blots of information, the young boy tried to process what exactly happened. Something went wrong with the treaty? Well this meeting had definitely, been harder than he had expected it to be.

 _'It can't be a war.'_ The boy mused to himself, making sure to keep his face blank. ' _If it was, then the signal would be alerted and a meeting would immidietly take place. No it can't be a war. Then what else? Did Kumo ask for ridiculous terms, ones which Konoha can't agree with? That might make more sense; but it isn't a major problem, as both countries have been at a standstill for a while now. It wouldn't hurt to be at one for a bit longer, although, that is another dangerous alternative as if tensions continue to rise, then a war will defiantly become inevitable-'_

Finally Hiruzen started to speak once more, cutting through the younger boys train of thoughts. "What I am about to tell you today Itachi - _kun,_ is an A rank secret. Do you understand?"

"I do." Itachi replied immidietly, making sure to keep his face neutral. His thoughts couldn't be exposed on his face, not at a time like this.

Nodding once towards the ANBU, the Hokage continued onwards, making sure to keep his voice low, as if someone where watching them. "Last night, Hyuga Neji was almost kidnapped from the Hyuga mansion."

Itachi tensed as his eyes narrowed. _'Almost? That means he is safe, but who in the world would dare think about kidnapping the heir, when he was safely inside of Konoha...'_ Suddenly, he realized what the older man was trying to say to him, before letting a small sliver of shock escape into his vision. _'Unless they were already inside Konoha.'_

"Do you understand now?" Hiruzen asked, as he watched the dawning look of understand reach the _chunin's_ eye. A smart kid, he was, in fact, the _Sandaime_ hadn't a single percent of doubt, that the younger boy didn't understand what he was getting at. After all, Uchiha Itachi was known for his genius mind.

Although, it was always the geniuses which fell the hardest.

"The Kumogakure delegates, the treaty...it was all a disguise right?"

"You don't sound surprised," Hiruzen remarked, as Itachi's face didn't change even move a muscle.

"I..." The boy hesitated, "I had my doubts about the meeting."

"Oh? Why's that?" Something shifted in the atmosphere, as the Hokage leaned forwards a bit more, his eyes taking on a curious tinge. Even the ANBU, who had been motionless this entire time, shifted slightly, turning his body towards the younger boy, instead of towards the window across from them.

"Well," Itachi shifted slightly, his face still blank - really? It was concerning to see kids with blank expressions - "I had my doubts, after all, while I understood that _Kumogakure_ wanted all of the clan heads to be there to sign the paper, in order to make the treaty more powerful, what confused me however, is of why the _Raikage_ didn't come personally, or why he didn't send many men. After all, he was sending them out into a foreign territory. Treaty or no treaty, who said that we wouldn't attack them?"

The air was silent for a few moments, the atmosphere pushing down onto the Uchiha's shoulders. Every breath he took was excruciating, as it only further made him realize the words which he had said. The items that he'd revealed. Finally, after what it seemed to be forever, the _Sandaime_ sighed, before muttering a few words underneath his breath, and shaking his head, and staring back up, his expression unchanged and instead, calmer.

"It's true." He finally admitted, watching as the boy let his eyes widen ever so slightly. "The treaty was just a cover up of the real mission. To capture the Hyuga's Byakugan and unlock its' secrets. Thankfully, the _shinobi_ was intercepted by Hyuga Hiashi, who managed to kill him and secure Hyuga Neji."

Itachi nodded once, before pausing and narrowing his eyes. Something was adding up, why in the world was the Hokage, the leader of the village, telling _him_ , a mere child (as much as he hated to be called that) information that was this valuable!? Was it because he was the Uchiha's heir? Even then, he hadn't taken control of the clan yet, so it made no sense, for him to be given such information - his tou - _san_ maybe, but not him. Not to mention, tensions between the Uchiha and the village had started to form as well - causing their already strained bond to widen further.

Hesitating, he began to speak, internally flinching when his voice came out smaller than he had initially thought it to be. "Hokage - _sama..._ why are you telling me this? I'm just a _chunin,_ why would you be sharing this information with me? It gives you no benefit from it, in fact, it will only hinder you, as I will become the weak link in the group. In fact, the only reason why you would tell me, is if you wished for me to do something about it."

The said man widened his eyes slightly, however, the onyx haired Uchiha couldn't feel anything, but kindness and warmth radiating off of him. It didn't fool the boy, as he kept a tight lock on his mouth and his emotions.

"Just as I expected, you are quite knowledgeable, Itachi - _kun._ "

The younger boy twitched and shuffled at this, but other then that, he revealed nothing of what he was thinking or feeling. "Thank you, Hokage - _sama."_

"You're correct in assuming that I wouldn't give this information, without expecting you to do something for me."

"What is it?" Itachi asked instantly, his eyes narrowing. What was going on? If the Kumogakure _shinobi's_ were apprehended, then why was the village in such a rush? Why was their leader so...tired?

"Kumogakure has decided to deny the fact that one of their shinobi were caught." The Hokage admited, his face now nearly blank of every emotion. "Instead, they have stated that it is Hyuga Hiashi's fault and wish for him to pay the penalty for killing on their _shinobi._ The price, is death."

Inhaling sharply, the onyx haired _chunin_ tensed up, as his eyes widened for a second. "What!? B - But's that's unreasonable!" His mouth screwed shut, as the young boy tried to rail in his extreme emotions."Kumogakure has no right to do that."

"That is true," The Hokage admitted. "In normal cases, that would be seen as preposterous, and Kumogakure wouldn't have the guts to make such a statement. However, the _Raikage_ has used a single fact against us, one which I doubt Hiashi - _san_ had taken into account."

"What was it?" Itachi asked cautiously, his mind whirling from all of the information - after all, the young boy couldn't stand when their was an unsolved mystery. Probably the reason why he usually didn't ask questions, however, now that he was being given information, he'd ask all that he could.

Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned forwards, his eyes deathly grave and his mouth, perched into a straight line. "With the _shinobi_ dead, we cannot interrogate them in order to find the truth. It's because of this, that _Kumogakure_ states that Hyuga Hiashi killed one of their ninjas without a reason."

 _'Politics,'_ Itachi thought, scowling slightly, _'How annoying.'_

The young boy would be lying if panic hadn't gripped him at that. Hyuga Hiashi - _oji_...to him, the man was a mystery. Strict, but kind - strong, but emotionless, in some ways he reminded him slightly of his own tou - _san._ However, he had a distant aura around him, one which told Itachi that he wasn't always with them - saying that the _chunin_ had to admit that he did respect the Hyuga. Not only for the fact that he took him underneath his wings on the battlefield, but also the way he made his kaa - _san_ laugh. It was almost like they were siblings, the way they interacted.

"What...did you decide?" The almost eleven year old asked, tilting his head slightly. If Hokage - _sama_ didn't agree to _Kumogakure's_ terms, then that would result in war - something which would be detrimental to Konoha's structure, as they were just starting to recover from the last war. However, if the Hokage decided to agree to _Kumogakure's_ terms, then not only would Konoha be placed as a pushover in their eyes, but also, that would endanger the life of a man.

If Itachi was being honest, the answer was pretty clear cut. However, the fact that he knew the person, only made his mind stutter to a stop. He couldn't find the answer to the question - opening his mouth, he decided to ask another question, when he was cut off.

"The Hyuga clan is going to make a decision," The older man admitted, "And then, it's up to me whether or not to veto it."

With his senses, the onyx haired Uchiha could feel the anger which was coming off of the Hokage, it's presences waving around the room. However, the young boy, knew it wasn't directed at him, but quite possibly the _Raikage_. As the deathly aura increased in the room, Itachi gagged as his breathing became haphazard and brain started to cloud in blurry thoughts. It was only when the older ANBU cleared his throat, that the feeling stopped, quickly being replaced by the tensed atmosphere like before.

"Ah. I apologize, Itachi - _kun."_ The older man said, guilty, only for the boy to assure him that it was fine.

Taking a deep breath, the onyx haired Uchiha pushed away all other emotions, before asking the question which he had been dreading to ask. "Hokage - _sama?_ What exactly do you want me to do?"

The 'Professor' sighed, and motioned towards the ANBU, before nodding his head, once. " _Inu_ will explain."

Turning towards him, the younger boy watched as the _Jonin_ slid out of the shadows, his body moving effortlessly into the lighter area, standing beside the Hokage's desk. In the light, Itachi could see his silver hair, and clothed body, causing his head to tilt slightly. For a teenager, he sure did look old - and the Uchiha, hadn't even looked at his face.

"ANBU - _san,"_ He said dutifully, tilting his head sideways, in order to express his respect. The said man nodded once, his eyes assessing the young boy through the slits, and his breathing even.

"Your mission is an A - rank mission." The person begun, and Itachi had to blink at how low and toneless the voice was. While he knew that ANBU were supposed to be emotionless, the fact that the young boy couldn't decipher anything from it, caused him to be in slight awe **.** It would a long time, before he could do that as well **-** wait a minute, A - rank!?

"Your job is to investigate whether or not the snake sannin, Orochimaru, had anything to do with the Hyuga Affair. Your partner is Ame Sai. Do you accept this mission?"

...

...

...

 ** _'Anne-Marie'_**

 _'Thinking'_

 _..._

She stiled on the tops of the roof, her brains wracking for ideas of why she was being summoned by her leader. While the idea that he expected another report crossed her mind, it quickly passed as she realized that she had just given her last one a few weeks ago - nowhere enough time for her to gather more information. Well, if not that, then what? As her mouth twisted into a frown, the incident of last night passed through her mind, inciting her curiosity. A small smile pulled at her lips, when she thought of what the Raikage's expression would be when he realized what had happened - however, that smile soon faded when she thought of the compensation that Kumogakure had ordered for the death of their _shinobi_.

Suddenly, almost as if a light bulb popped into her brain, the young girl groaned as she remembered what she had been told, just a few hours prior. It really wasn't her fault that she had forgotten, as her mind was too busy trying to stay awake. However, now that she remembered, thought of the impending mission hit her like a punch to the gut. Biting her lip, the young girl resisted the urge to let her mind run wild, as she thought of the trust her Hokage was placing in her, to allow her to do this. Honestly, it was times like these, which made the younger girl wonder whether or not he was entirely sane. While all of the information which she had given Hiruzen was right, it didn't mean that she had another alternative or that she was completely with him. For all he knew, she was a spy.

However, the young girl could admit that it did excite her to find more dirt about Orochimaru. Unlike the woman in her head, who thought that somehow his mad scientist thing was working for him - _(but really? How the hell could that work for someone!? Sometimes, Sai wondered which one of them were more insane then the other.) -_ and while she did respect him for discovering most of Konoha's advancements in medicines, the black haired girl only felt disgust for the matter of what he done to attain that information.

Her tensed muscles seared underneath the exhaustion that haunted her limbs. How long had it been since she had last slept? The eight year old didn't know, but she was thankful that after meeting her partner for the mission, she would be on her way towards her bed. As for who she was working with...the girl didn't really care - as long they were strong enough to not be dead weight. Other then that, she had no feelings towards them, may they be man or woman.

 ** _'Just you wait brat, a few more years and hormones will hit. Then you'll be sorry.'_**

Sai tilted her head at that statement, before humming softly. Hormones? What was that? They certainly sounded dangerous if Anna-Marie feared them. Nodding her head, the young girl resolved to watching out for them, from then on.

Sai ignored the violent laughter that came from the back of her head. It wasn't her fault if Anna-Marie seemed to be even more out of it then lately. Although, the eight year old had to admit that it unnerved her, more then before - after all, nothing good ever came out of having the normally apathetic woman be amused enough to laugh - last time that happened, she had been covered in mud for _days_. It had taken the stench forever to get off of her.

After what it seemed to be a hour, the black haired girl felt the familiarity of a pulse of _chakra -_ a signal, which was sent out towards her. Dutifully, she climbed onto the side of the building, _chakra_ building at her feet as she sprinted across the side, reaching the covered window. Her hair whipped around her, as the subtle shift in wind echoed around her body. Raising her hand, she tapped the windowpane three times, a code for her acceptance, before slipping through the now open hole, and standing next to her _taichou_ , his ANBU mask gleaming in the darkness of the room.

With her eyes trailing onto the figure in front of her, Sai froze as she realized who it was. Black hair framed his face, and the ends of it were pulled into a low ponytail. Alongside of his hair, pale skin which if it was any paler it would be white, made up his body - making his face look slightly translucent. Two lines ran down the sides of his face as his onyx eyes narrowed ever so slightly - as if observing her. In all of the people in the world she had to be paired with, it was the one she wanted the least.

You know what fuck her fate, fuck her life. Maybe she could become a dance teacher? She always loved to dance. Groaning internally, she shook her and returned to her previous thoughts. Nodding her head once, she made up her mind - she was screwed, because standing right in front of her, was Uchiha fucking Itachi.

Sai felt her hand twitched, and resisted the urge to reach into her pocket and grab her paint brush, something she had in common with the canon!Sai _(she ignored how the paint felt in her hands, squirming, **flying** out of the brush and onto the paper. She ignored how whenever she attempted to draw, she fell into a trance - her mind unfocused and her body vulnerable. Often times, she woke up, paint smeared onto her face and charcoal dusted all over her arms- her fingers raw and **bleeding** -)_

"Hokage - _sama,_ Inu - _taichou._ " She said softly, placing a neutral smile on her face, before turning towards the last member in the room and greeting them. " _Kon'nichiwa_ , Uchiha - _san_."

"... _Kon'nichiwa._ Ame - _san._ " The older boy responded softly, his face masking mostly everything that he was thinking. In fact, had Sai not had the experience of being with Anna-Marie, then she wouldn't even bin able to decipher his wary expression. The black haired female had to resist the urge at how high the boys' voice was, compared to the manga? Was it called manga?

 _'Ame? This is new.'_ The girl mused to herself, her eyes crinkling softly.

"Sai - _chan._ " The old man said, smiling at her the smallest glint of curiosity in his eyes. "Welcome back, how was your last mission."

Okay so now she was double screwed, because if their was anything worse than an angry _Kage,_ it was a scheming _Kage_. Ignoring the urge to bristle under all of the eyes upon her, the young girl tilted her head to the side, before responding, her voice just as calm and composed as she wanted it to be.

"It was alright." At this, she turned to her mentor, "I'll send you the report in later, okay _taichou?_ " She received a nod from said man, before turning back to the person who she was trying desperately not to glare at.

"Ahh are you, whom i'll be working with?" The eight year old asked softly, before watching him nod slowly, as if confused.

"It appears so." He answered once more, after a moments pause - causing Anna-Marie to squeal in her head.

 _'Stop that.'_

 ** _'No. He's too cute!'_**

 _'Only you, would find a future hypocrite (pacifist/murderer) cute. Now fuck off, and let me think, please.'_

 ** _'Rude.'_**

 _'I said please.'_

"It seems that the two of you, are getting along fine." Hiruzen said, his expression visibly becoming more tired. His mouth twisted as the imaginary clock twisted in the wall. "Why don't you head along - your mission will start at 0200 hours. I suppose that is enough time for you to get acquainted."

Ok so, it seemed that she wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep. How annoying. Well, it seemed that she would be a crabby bitch, although, that wasn't different than normal.

"Well, then." She replied softly, ignoring the way that the Hokage seemed to be on edge at her tone and kind expression. Even her _taichou_ seemed to worried how she would take it. A small smile pulled at her lips, and the exhaustion she was feeling was lifted ever so slightly, as the man visibly tensed. _'How cute.'_

"I look forwards to working with you, Uchiha - _san."_

...

 ** _"Ironically,_**

 ** _the people_** ** _you meet_** ** _by accident_**

 ** _are often the ones,_**

 ** _who become the most_**

 ** _important people,_**

 ** _in your life. Yet,_**

 ** _they are the ones,_**

 ** _who hurt you the most."_**

 ** _\- unknown_**

* * *

 _ **Well, that was a whirlpool! I hope you enjoyed that chapter~! I sincerely apologize if their are any spelling/grammatical mistakes, as I didn't have much time to go over everything and fix things. Sorry if the fighting scene sucks, I have no experience in writing them, and hope that I only improve by the Chunin exams.**_

 ** _(1)(2)(3) - Wikipedia Uzumaki Clan_**

 _ **I also had another question. Recently, I've gotten into a manga called Boku no Hero Academia. I've been debating whether or not to write a SI - OC!Fem!Kirishima book; and my notebook is filled with drafts of the first chapter. What do you all think, should I do it?**_

 _ **Ja ne, for now.**_

 _ **\- Titania of Fairies**_


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